Ah, it’s summer! I love it. The longer days allow for early morning runs, evening swims and extended cookouts with friends. For many, it's time to recuperate from the battles fought while helping with homework and the numerous hours spent watching unlimited baseball and soccer games. Of course the extra free time means the kids have even more energy. So, this year I decided to research some local day camps in our area.

OMG! (Don’t worry. “G” stands for Gosh.) There were so many camps to choose from, I was overwhelmed. They all sounded incredible. I was tempted to sign up for all of them and fill our summer going from camp to camp. But the reality of a budget knocked that out of me.

I finally decided on a camp that one of our friends cofounded and co-runs, SimBale Sports, LLC. It’s a sports camp that not only challenges the body but also the mind. It sounded great, so we signed up.

Okay, I have to pause here and make a confession. Another reason I signed our kids up for camp is that for one week I would have a few hours a day to catch up. Our house is a wreck and I’m behind on many projects. The busy spring schedule put my A.D.D. in full drive and my long “to do” list is filled with half-finished jobs. I figured this would be my time to do it all and then the rest of summer would be peacefully organized.

Yeah, right.

Well, Friday was the last day of our camp and nothing has been crossed off of my "to do" list. Actually, since I am in confession mode I might as well add that I have yet to write out a physical list. It’s still only mentally in my head and tortures me each night as I try to sleep.

The camp had the kids write in journals during the week. My friend and her business partner coached the kids each day to set personal goals and to literally write them down. They gave them quotes and tips, motivating them on how to fulfill them. Our kids were eager to show me their journals so we sat on the couch and went through each one. They were filled with some great insight.

One quote my daughter paraphrased in her journal resonated with me…

While most are dreaming of success, winners wake up and work hard to achieve it.

This quote inspired me. I’m filled with dreams but they’re only going to happen if I proactively work and strive to make them happen, praying for wisdom and guidance along the way. Too many dreams are fading away as time passes.

I was a bit overwhelmed on where to begin, so I decided to take a power nap. Yep, I know that’s probably not what you were thinking I might say but it’s amazing what a twenty-minute rest will do for my thinking. I initially felt like a loser for bowing to the pillow.

I want to be a winner but even more, I don’t want to lose. I don’t want to lose my time with my family or my health due to working too hard. At the same time I don’t want to lose out on all the hard work we’ve put into our business. Where is the balance?

When I first looked at this quote I only saw that winners work hard to achieve.This is true and a requirement. But I overlooked the part that winners wake up. It implies that winners do sleep, they do take a break – it is a requirement for winning.

We’re a world of “doers.” We want to win and we want to achieve. But we’re also human…we can’t do it all. I may not be a lazy bum but I’m also not God. There are limitations. When I look at this phase of my life I must see that I’m a mom of two young kids who must balance work and home. There are some things that won’t happen till the kids are gone, like my house being clean for more than five minutes. Actually that might not happen on this side of heaven.

I was reminded that being a winner doesn’t mean you strive to be the best but rather giving and being your best. I want to know in the end that I lived this principle. I want to model this work ethic to my kids and for them to see me giving my best for them, my best to God and my best for others.

Do you have any suggestions or strategies to share on how to be productive yet balanced?