Hi friends,
Welcome to this week’s spark!
The highlight of last week was my daughter passing the 10th and final level of the UCMAS program, which basically focuses on developing mental math skills for kids, thus ending a journey of 3 years of dropping her off and picking her up every Friday morning along with her brother who will finish in few months. This is also the end of my daily reminders of solving homework pages and the regular mental math practice sessions. We look forward to attending the graduation ceremony this weekend, and I am very proud of
our dedication and commitment. I also can’t wait for her brother’s turn, who is doing so well but not in love with the daily practice pages. You can learn more about this program from
Thaka Center in Jordan.
Last week, I noticed that I woke up with more energy because I wrote my to-do and not-to-do list for the next day on my phone before going to bed the previous night.
Example of a don’t do: binge-watch series.
Example of to-do:
- Write 10 min Five-Minute-Journal
- Write 20 min on laptop
- Listen and reply to sister
- Send Happy Birthday to my friend
- Send Goals group
- Declutter beside daughter’s desk for 30 min
- Pick what to wear tonight
Crossing these off felt so good!
Oh, did you expect more?
These tiny things would have kept nagging at me if I hadn’t done them; you know the feeling! And I just missed writing in my gratitude journal so much that I made it a to-do item.
This week, I encourage you to do the same: Spend a few minutes planning the next day every night, just like I shared once upon a Sunday Spark: Plan tomorrow, today.
It’s worth mentioning that I have two weeks left with my baby before maternity leave ends, and I feel sad and already nostalgic for these precious days. I wish I lived somewhere in the world where maternity leaves were longer than 70 days, which is sadly a dream for women in other countries. If it were up to me, maternity leaves would be six months as babies depend entirely on their mothers for nourishment.
I remember going back to work after I had my first two kids. It was tough at first, but then we settled into our new routine, and I became more present during the time I spent with them. This time, however, I feel I am already way more present and aware of how much I will miss when I go to work, and I am giving myself so much compassion because separation is so difficult, and all working mums go through this.
Luckily, I finally have help at home now who will take care of the baby and then take care of the house when I get back from work so I can give more time to my baby and family.
P.S. It’s been a while since I shared 3 sparks to inspire you; this newsletter feature will return soon. Meanwhile, stay tuned for the next Sunday Spark, which will be issue #200! How awesome is that?
