Tell me.. Are you overwhelmed?
Busy schedules, cluttered spaces, relentless demands & noise all around us.. and an idea that we need to look like we have it all under control?
Yep. I have felt that too. It all feels like too much to handle sometimes.
We’ve become creatures of reactivity in a world constantly calling out for our attention. We look at our daily lives and wonder how it got so crazy.
The truth is, this stage of life is overwhelming. Many of us are wives, mothers, homemakers, business owners.. sometimes all in the course of a single day.
It’s hard to know what’s important when we barely have space to eat, shower & breathe.
When I’m in too deep, I start asking questions like:
- Am I doing life wrong?
- Should I move?
- What’s the point of all this?
These feelings come up when I’ve jammed my life too tight. Even if it’s good stuff..
It’s hard, we don’t want to let others down, and frankly, we want it all. But there’s too much to say yes to.
When we say yes to it all, we loose ourselves.
Establishing Clear Priorities is Key.
But how do we do that? How do we decide what gets our attention?
How do we prioritize?
Here’s the answer: There is not one clear answer.
Like so many things in life, it depends on the person; their goals, their values.
I do have a trick for finding clarity. It involves a little imagination.. and maybe a bit an uncomfortable reminder of our mortality.
Imagine you are 85 years old. Yep, there you are, wrinkles & all.
What would that further along version of you advise this you to do?
This helps me cut to the chase with a quickness.
That me likely wouldn’t advise this me to:
- do things just to please others and their expectations
- work away while my kids are yearning for my attention
- live like my home might be photographed at any moment
That me would likely want me to:
- live out my life’s calling, even if others didn’t understand
- serve my loved ones and my community with love & patience
- allow myself to get messy and dig into this life
Dana is a professional organizer that specializes in family life simplification. As a mother raising three boys in the bay area, she understands the unique pressures of parenthood. Here she shares tips and inspirations for finding ease and balance in the home, and in ourselves.