You know more than anyone how little time you have. Between your spouse, your kids, running errands, housework, working or volunteering, and the thousands of other little things that eat up your day, it’s impossible to do everything. The to-do list is constantly rotating, and it seems that as soon as you cross something out, something is added that is just as important.
Busy moms have a lot to do, and a woman’s natural perfectionism is almost certain to pick up on here. What does this mean? It means that you are constantly running, trying to do everything, which will eventually lead to collapse, or at least high blood pressure and heart palpitations. Putting ‘High Priority’ status on everything is a major stressor, and the best way to eliminate this from your life may be a bit of a shock to some, but here it is.
Not everything has to be done.
Take a few minutes to digest this amazing concept. Reflect on it. Well wait.
Ready for more? OK. Here is the truth.
The fact is, you have limited time and energy. Everybody does. There’s a lot you can do in one day, and trying to conquer a list of 25 things just isn’t going to happen. Learning to prioritize what’s really important and having the strength to let go of the rest is a good way to live a life with less stress and more personal happiness.
Here is a good example. Your friend Barb is on her feet 14 hours a day. She is a stay-at-home “supermom”. Not only is her home spotless and her clothes constantly dirty, but she is the PTA president and is responsible for organizing all extracurricular activities at her child’s school. You constantly wonder how he does everything.
On the outside, Barb seems to have it all together, running like a well-oiled machine, when in reality she’s completely miserable. You never have time to look at the clouds with your toddler because you have to clean the floor and start the next load of laundry. She has not dedicated herself in years because she is too busy organizing so many events. Barb is exaggerating herself and not only is she suffering, but her children are as well.
It’s easy to lose sight of what’s really important in life when so many little things come up and get eaten in our time. Yes, many of these things need to be done and yes, some of them are quite important. But you have to decide what has priority in your life and what can be left behind. Life can get a lot more fun and interesting when you relax a bit and let spontaneity return to your day.
When you stop to think about it, perfectionism is pretty boring. Wouldn’t you rather your kids grow up remembering picnics and snacks than how clean the house was and how all the errands were run? Again, yes, the house does need a cleaning and errands need to be run sometimes, but you don’t have to live in a constant state of things to do. It is important to realize that you can still achieve excellence in what you do without being a perfectionist.
Learn to let go and accept the fact that you are not perfect. Accept the fact that not being perfect can be so much more wonderful and that you are closer to the heart of what life is really about.