Day #82: Time to Yourself

We've had a pretty laid-back week.  The kids have played well together and I feel as if I've taken a bit of a vacation from them in my own home!  Usually someone is crying or fighting with a sibling every five minutes, but this has not been the case this week.  I'm not going to lie.  I've given myself permission to let them play and enjoyed some time reading while the baby naps. When you spend nearly every hour of every day with your children, you have to fit in some "me" time somewhere!

This is the topic I'd like to address today:  taking time for yourself.  As parents of young children, our lives are busy by nature.  During these years we spend so much time caring for, teaching, and guiding our children down the right path that it seems to leave little time for personal hobbies. While my children are a priority, I don't want them to grow up with the perception that our entire life revolves around them.  I want them to see us pursuing our interests, setting goals and achieving them, and leaving them behind to go out and have some "adults-only" time.  The problem with this is finding the time.

I have the desire to start running again and get into shape.  I have the desire to have date nights with my husband.  I have the desire to get away for a weekend or spend a night out with the girls. I just struggle with actually making the desires become a reality.  If it were as simple as saying, " See ya!  I'm going to (fill in the blank)" then no problem, but in truth it takes preparation and even with the best of intentions I tend to be late or get derailed entirely.  I need some help!

Do you struggle with this?  If not, how do you make this work?