You can do it all - Do you really want to?

In this day and age, everyone is in such a rush.  Everything we do is done quickly, without thought or any option to savor the moment.  We are taught that multi tasking is the norm, that the nagging feeling of something left undone means you need to do more.

Why do we have to do it all?  Do we really have to embody this?  Can't we stop for a minute and think, "Do we really want to do it all?"

I used to be like that, I couldn't say no, I was always adding something to my plate, I was the queen of multi tasking.  Then I stopped and took inventory and realized:

When I was multi tasking I was doing pretty much everything just to get it done.  There was no joy, no sense of accomplishment, just determination to finish and move to the next task.

A lot of the things I was doing was to please other people, or making me look good in their eyes.

My children were getting used to me being detached, too busy to engage, I was telling myself that  being a busy mother was sign of a good mother?

Scheduling activities and adding tasks to my family made us active, but it didn't really make us happy.

Why was I so tired?  Was it the endless lists running through my mind in the middle of the night?  Or was it that I was up late finishing things?

So I decided I didn't have to do it all, actually I didn't want to do it all.

I started by removing things from my list that didn't belong there.  I wrote out all the activities, the volunteer work, the hobbies, examining each one.

"Does this bring me joy?"  What a loaded question with some.  If I found myself saying, "But they need me" and not feeling joy, then it had to go.  I found a core group of things that I found "joy" in and even though bowing out of some was difficult, the freedom and peace that came was worth the work.

I learned to give myself a break.  So what if I forgot the salad with our dinner.  No one noticed, stop beating myself up about it.  Not every meal has to be made from scratch of all organic ingredients - guess what, we are still here.  Rotisserie chicken can be your best friend.

Clearing the clutter clears the clutter from the mind.  Moving through the house one drawer at a time allows time to really ponder each item, you'll find joy in giving away what you do not use and more joy in the peace of an organized household.

I don't have to have company all the time.  I can be happy being by myself.  If I am not in the mood to meet a friend, I'm going to say it.  And if they are my friend, they will understand.

It was amazing when I removed some activities from my family's schedule.  No one complained, in fact there were a few sighs of relief, and not all of them was from me.

Sure you can do it all, but perhaps it is better to do less and do it with a full heart and a peaceful mind.  Sure we can have it all, but do we really want it?