Striking balance. No matter what season of life you’re in, we all face this struggle. I often feel as though I’m a circus clown trying to juggle multiple balls at a time, but fail miserably at keeping them all in the air. We strive to keep it together and make it look like we know what we’re doing. Society tells us to add more to our plates and stay busy. Our bodies tell us otherwise. I’m a natural “on the go” person. I tend to feel most productive when my schedule is full. I actually like to-do lists. They make me feel good when I check off a box, reminding me that I accomplished something for the day.
BUT….what if these accomplishments are empty ones? Tasks that hold little value…
We need to take a moment to step back and reflect on what we fill our days with.
The other morning, I woke up and shamefully looked at the 27 gallon black tub that was STILL sitting on the floor in my son’s bedroom. It had been there since October, waiting to be filled with the summer clothes he had outgrown. Yes, it was THAT long ago! My intent, back in the Fall, was to switch out his seasonal clothes and make room in his closet for new items. Just having had a baby, I was trying to be organized and stay on top of things. Fast forward 7 months and I FINALLY filled that puppy up and put it away. Initially, I felt like a failure of a mom for procrastinating. But the thing is…..
I was busy doing more important things.
Just the other day, I was washing dishes and my son came up and tapped me on the leg asking for me to play trains with him. “Mommy, you be Percy and I’ll be Thomas.” I told him to give me 2 minutes so I could finish unloading/loading the dishwasher and then I would come play! He came back 2 minutes later and I told him I was ALMOST done, that I would be over in a sec. Sure enough, he lost interest and moved onto something else. I stopped in that moment and decided to leave the dirty plates and cups in the sink. I went over and sat down on the floor, built tracks, chugged along, and was the best darn Percy you ever saw. In a blink of an eye, fun was had, memories were made, morning passed, and afternoon naps arrived. Later that day, as I walked down to the kitchen, I saw the sink and counter full of dirty dishes. It was time to make dinner, my husband would soon be walking through the door, and the house was a total disaster. I felt frustrated that I didn’t finish what I started earlier. I felt like a failure of a wife for procrastinating. But, the thing is……
I was busy doing more important things.
I’ve been meaning to make the bed. I’ve been meaning to iron the clothes in the laundry room. I’ve been meaning to sit down and write in my 2nd child’s baby book. I’ve been meaning to clean out the refrigerator and pantry. I’ve been meaning to wash the windows and floor boards, because they so desperately need it. I’ve been meaning to organize the toy bins in the play area so it might actually look like a family room one day. But the thing is…
I’ve been busy doing more important things.
There are countless things that make us feel guilty, ashamed, incapable, or like we aren’t doing good enough. On a daily basis, we hear that sneaky voice whispering in our ear, “Do more. Be more.”
Yesterday’s wet laundry still in the washer = FAILURE
Sticky floors and crayon marks on the wall = FAILURE
Crumbs in your couch cushions and under every piece of furniture = FAILURE
An empty fridge and takeout dinner for the past three days = FAILURE
A laughable amount of dust on my shelves = FAILURE
A pile of work that you left on your desk to be finished later = FAILURE
But the thing is, you’ve been busy doing more important things.
Life is all about making messes and making memories. Putting aside household chores to engage and connect with others should never be considered a failure. In 30 years, you won’t look back and recall all of the items you checked off your to-do list. Rather, you will recount the days when you spent quality time with people, those who matter to you. You’ll remember the daily trips to the park with your little ones, weekly coffee visits with an old friend, fits of laughter around the dinner table, the TV series you binge watched with your spouse, happy hour dates with your coworkers, the moments that make you say, “Remember that one time” or, “I’ll never forget when…”.
Please do me a favor. Stop and ask yourself a simple question:
Are you making the most out of the time you are given each day?
Life will throw you a litany of things you can and may need to complete, but remember you can’t possibly do it all in a day and it’s not worth trying!
As you start your week, I encourage you to make a very short and simple to-do list for yourself:
LOVE THIS MOMENT.
