Please note:
The following photos have absolutely nothing to do with this post...just so ya know.
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A couple weeks ago I made a decision after taking a long look at my day planner. From a ways away it looked like Sophia grabbed a Sharpie and scribbled all over it, but up close, all those "scribbles" were words and all those words were commitments. Many of which I had brought upon myself without thinking about how busy I am.
I'm not sure if I just can't handle as much as other people, but when I start getting too much on my plate, I start to crack. And it's usually not pretty. I get crabby, irritated (even more than usual), and I can be just plain mean.
All because I said yes, when I should say no.
I know we moms all deal with this "learning to say no" thing. I just read something in a book that said that "when we say NO to something, we're essentially saying YES to something else...and usually that something else is our family"...ouch!
I also know that what we moms say YES to are usually great things...PTA, church committees, leading a Girl Scout troop. Good things. But for me, too many of these good things can start to ware on me in a hurry
and before I know it, my house is disastrous, my kids haven't learned a thing, and I am cranky mama!
A few months ago, I wrote a post on finding your focus and I think that's why I start to go so crazy...
I'm going in too many directions to be focused on anything.
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| random guys, watching the super bowl in my living room. {brotha, hubby, brotha's roomie} |
Like I said, maybe I can't handle as much as other girls can. But I realized I need to make a decision.
What is important to me, like really important? Where do I want my time to go?
Here's what I came up with, these are the things that are important to me:
-my family...
including planning fun things for us to do as a family, taking care of my house, making meals, and being the mama that makes our home a cozy retreat from the rest of the world
-homeschooling my kids...
.I love having the opportunity to teach my kids myself and I so desire to make the most of it. I want their memories of school at home to be happy and fun memories, not stressed out memories :)
-me, myself, and I...
..I don't mean this to sound selfish, I just mean the part of my life that is just for me is also very important to me...blogging and my shop have been the creative outlet I had so desired.
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| my roomie So, that's my list and I'm stickin' to it. I decided I'm slimming down my schedule...backing out of commitments. I figured, hey, everyone else is doing cut backs, so why not me? So that's what I'm doing...cutting back. I'm refocusing. Doing what's important...because if I'm doing too much, nothing's getting done very well. This decision to cut back has brought about a calm in me...I'm already feeling more focused, knowing what and who needs me most is going to get me...and not the cranky me :) Have a super Monday...I feel a great week coming on! xoxo {alicia} |
5 comments:
I know just how you feel. Seems we are going though the same thought process.
i stopped "doing it all" when we moved here to cottage country...afterall, what's the point of living in paradise if we're too busy to enjoy it...i am a much, much better mama. i think we're all better...do whatever your heart tells you.
It sounds like we are on the same page again! Ever since I was young, I never liked anything that took me away from my family for too much time. I am now the same way with my own family. It's all fun until family and the state of my home start to suffer! I, too, am easily stressed when too many outside things demand my time and attention.
Nobody likes crabby mommy. :o)
It helps me, Alicia, to remember that the reverse is true as well. When I say NO to something, I also say YES to something else. It gives me more freedom to say no.
I bet you won't regret these hard decisions you made.
Blessings on your journey.
Fondly,
Glenda
my sister in law told me that you left a comment on her blog and that you homeschooled your 3 kids (like me) and i told her to send me the link so i could look at your blog. well, while she was giving me your blog address, i said, "i already have her bookmarked!!" so, it was funny i already had been reading your blog. i just found it recently. i completely understand what you mean about homeschooling. it's trying to make it fun. not losing your cool and have the whole day feel like work. good luck!
~tiff
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