Today I am making stew. It is cold and stew is total comfort food for me. As I plan to get the stew into the crock pot I can't help but think about the blending of ingredients and the slow simmer of the day in the crock pot and how it relates to our lives and businesses.
Don't we all need to find a way to blend the needs of our families, friends, and ourselves with the demands of our business plans and the need for cash to make our way through life? We need to chop our time up like I am cutting potatoes and carrots to add to this pot. If I add too much of any one ingredient to the stew, the final result will not taste good. It is also true that if I spend too much of my time in any one area of my life the final result will not be pleasant.
My goal for 2009 is to find the right mixture of ingredients for my life. Sometimes I find myself drawn too far into one project or one aspect of my life and I forget about other important things. No one thing should dominate. A business plan and a life plan are needed and need to be adjusted but always balanced to produce the desired results.
There are times when I want everything to produce results RIGHT NOW and I forget that like a stew most things take time to prepare and simmer. My marketing plans my not yield immediate tangible results but if I keep the fire burning low and mix enough different ideas into the marketing efforts I will see results.
There are days when my personal obligations feel like they will take over. Again the right balance of time and effort and the ability to let go of things that are less important helps to blend things together. I worry about my children but I know that I put the right stuff in and they will develop into good caring adults in there own time. I know I don't spend enough time with friends or on myself and I will work harder to allow more time for that in 2009.
I hope you all find the right ingredients for your lives this year. Now I have to go finish putting that stew together and get ready for an appraisal and wake up the kids and......... Have a great day.
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Good morning Paddy,
I am so pleased to see you are back posting in the Rain. I have missed you. Just this past Sunday I checked to see if I had missed your blog postings, nope, you have been away. Busy and in good health I hope.
I do trust your personal "Stew" for 2009 includs the Rain.
Happy New Year to you and yours.
Hi Paddy! EXCELLENT thoughts and I think that we all tend to spend far too much time on one thing at a time. Life IS about balance and right now, I think our businesses are taking over our lives much more than it normally does! Isn't it funny how we work so much harder when business is slower?!
OK, now you are just making me hungry! Soups on!!!
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You eat you stew and enjoy it. What better meal when the East Coast is freezing. :-)
Paddy - I hope that you are making enough stew for all of us, the cold is spreading south, and, oh yeah, great analogy.
Stay warm Paddy and enjoy your stew tonight and good luck with your appraisal... take care!
So true, so much about life is about balance and moderation. Good reminder. Nice to see you back, I was missing your posts.
Paddy, I love the analogy and correlation to life. balance is what is all about and too much of one thing or too little can mess everything up. Recipes are a great road map for a good stew. The little bit of ingenuity is the personal side of things and give it a unique taste. But the basics are where we have to be first. Success has a recipe as well.
Thanks
Bo
btw, I love stew!
Balance is key to success in life/work/play/family/me and etc. :)
Cute analogy, Paddy. I love to cook and since I live in an area where the winters are snowy and cold stews are a big favorite this time of year. I had never thought of life as a cooking exercise but I enjoyed your thoughts. Keep on cookin'!
wow - great analogy, paddy! simmer it slow - I like that!
You always have a great way of looking at things. I'll have some stew!
All the best! :)
Thanks for stopping by Hal. It is nice to know I was missed.
Hi Debe, Yes I agree many of us are spending way too much time trying to get business and are neglecting other facets of our lives. It is not healthy. Take some time for yourself and have a great week.
Hey Charles, I wish I could have sent some to you. It was fabulous if I don't say so myself. Thanks for the comment
It is reallllly cccold out today Steven. Thanks for your comment.
I am glad you enjoyed the analogy Mike. I had a bowl ready for you last night but you were a no show.
I think the appraisal went great Teresa thanks for asking.
I am trying to balance my time Stacey-Ann and it is not an easy task. I missed the rain though and I am glad to be back.
I have some left over's Bo. Thanks for the endorsement on the recipe for success!
Hi Sally Thanks for stopping by. I have missed my tropical paradise connection.
Leesa is it cold down there too? I thank you for the comment.
Thanks Kevin Have a great Friday.
Hi Paddy - I hope the stew warmed you up! You have great goals for 2009 :)
We LOVE stew around here. My family wants it even in the summer, that's just how kooky they are!
I love the analogy, especially about the simmer. I've put a lot of time and effort into my business over the years and it is starting to really pay off. I guess I've put way more time and energy into my children as I was just complimented on my 13 y.o. - how polite and pleasant he is to be around and helpful without prompting. I guess I put more "ingredients" in him than I realized - or else I just keep getting the juice and not the meat and veggies when he's with me!
~Renae
Business really does have a way of taking over, doesn't it? Kind of like adding just a touch too much garlic - the sauce becomes overwhelmed with it! Without the right balance of business and family, you can easily become overwhelmed.
Kathy
Paddy - Your talk of stew certainly made me hungry. With your approach this year I think you will find the right balance. I know exactly what you mean, at times I have had similar struggles. It is also important to budget time for the unexpected, like have to care from a sick family member.
Hello Paddy, this post was a great analogy of obtaining balance in our lives. Sometimes the pot spills over :-)