“This door is always open / No one has the guts to shut us out / But if we have to go now / I guess there’s always hope that / Some place will be serving after hours…”
My day begins at 9 pm. Well, I get up at 6 am on most days to go to work and take care of the baby. On weekends, I get up much later but it’s a baby-centric day. It’s not really “my” day. So technically, my time begins at 9 pm. It’s the time I do the things I love.
“What do I want to do everyday for the rest of my life?”
This talk by by Gary Vaynerchuk, a bestselling author and businessman, is so inspiring. It’s about patience and passion, and doing the things you love. Gary’s energy is also so infectious! Watch this 15-minute talk and be inspired:
Do what you love (no excuses!) by Gary Vaynerchuk (Wine Library)
Somewhere in his talk he mentions doing what you love when your day is done. “Work 9 to 5, spend a couple of hours with your family, 7 to 2 in the morning is plenty of time to do damage.” When he said that, I practically jumped out of my seat and said “YES!” My day job keeps me occupied for most of the day. When I come home from work, it’s time to take care of my little family. By the time my husband and my son are settled, it’s 9 pm. Finally, it’s me time. This is the time I do what I love to do. I write.
When you do what you love, opportunities find their way to you. Aside from my personal blogs, I have started writing for others too. I contribute to the Health & Wellness and Sosyal! channels of The Philippine Online Chronicles. Today, I started blogging for Yahoo! Philippines. My column is called “Home Grown” and my first entry (“Beauty is in the Eye of the Baby”) came out today. Yahoo!
While there are deadlines to beat, I enjoy every moment of my writing in the evenings. It’s my time, my me-time, my own little cove in the day. The clickety-clack of the keyboard is music to my ears; the snoring of my boys the soundtrack of the night.
As Gary said “No excuses!,” and a world of opportunity will open up to you. Keep doing the things you love. I’ll keep on writing, I look forward to the new journeys with this after hours passion of mine.
“We’re all right where we’re supposed to be…”
— from After Hours by We are Scientists
When do you find time to do the things you love? Tell us about it. Let’s learn from each other.
Hi! I'm Toni Tiu,
and I've been blogging at
at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.
Faye
July 20, 2010 at 2:02 pm (14 years ago)Hey Toni!
Loved the article you wrote for Yahoo. I can so very much relate. :)) Those gummy smiles are definitely lethal. Since I’m also a working mom and the baby gets first priority for now, I try to sneak in some me-time after work on Friday night or Saturday afternoons. I would either treat myself for some pampering time at the salon or spend time at a bookstore or meet up with a girlfriend. I don’t get to do that often but I try to at least take a day off once or twice a month. Maybe when my little princess is past her toddler years I’d get more time. For now the once or twice day offs are fine with me :))
Faye´s last blog post ..HelloTerrible Twos
Anne
July 20, 2010 at 4:45 pm (14 years ago)What a coincidence? I’ve just read that post on Yahoo Philippines before leaving a comment here but I didn’t know that the blogger and you are just the same. I kinda like your article and I am even more overwhelmed that I am a follower of your blogs. Early Pregnancy Symptoms
Anne´s last blog post ..Allergy Symptoms
Rachel
July 22, 2010 at 10:06 am (14 years ago)Yay you’re so galing talaga Ate Toni, idol talaga kita since the 1st day na napadpad ako dito sa blog mo. You’re a gifted person when it comes to writing, how I wish kasing galing mo din ako =D Goodluck goodluck =D
armi
July 22, 2010 at 4:52 pm (14 years ago)i can very much relate to your story. now that i am a mother of two boys, i realized that being a mother entails selflessness. but as you have mentioned (which i totally agree..), as busy moms, we should also find time for ourselves and that whatever it is that we do significantly will make us better moms.
i normally find time to do the things i love is after office hours – coffee dates with friends, window shopping, or sometimes jogging to keep me fit =)
armi´s last blog post ..What A Wonderful Thai Experience
shella marie peralta
July 30, 2010 at 4:13 pm (14 years ago)A friend of mine sent me a message which goes like this ” Motherhood is a tough 24hr job. No pay, no day-off and most often unappreciated. And yet resignation is impossible”. Certainly being a mother is the toughest job a woman will ever have. But then, it doesn’t mean that if you are already a mom, you don’t have the right to have a quality time for yourself. A time where in you can do the things that can make you happy. It doesn’t mean you need to forget the things that can give you fulfillment and sense of accomplishment you deserve. For me, reading articles like your blogs and chatting with my friends through text or through email makes me feel happy. These simple things make my day complete. Doing little things for ourselves can make a big difference. As long as it doesn’t affect your priorities, loving yourself and doing what you love is a nice thing to do.