Have you ever found yourself in that season of just trying to balance it all (the kids, the house, school, work, a healthy lifestyle) and just find yourself overwhelmed and questioning, "How am I supposed to do all of this?!"
Well, friends, I'll be the first to admit that many days, that's me! This school year I have found myself in the position of full-time momma, homeschool teacher, and business owner. Oh, and maid, chauffeur, chef, and nurse. I could keep adding more, but I think we all get the point!
There are days where I am SO productive with my business or house but my kids have self-entertained all day. There are other days where we have so much fun as a family, but nothing has been checked off my home or business to-do list. Usually this leads me down the path of trying to fit everything into a single day and finding myself exhausted and even resentful at the end of the day that I couldn't do and be "more". It's a constant tug of war between "I should be spending more time with my kids" and "I really need to put more hours and effort into my business/home."
I had been falling into this rut quite a bit lately, but a few weeks ago I heard a YouTuber I follow make a statement that finally made everything "click" in my head. She said, "Every day you can chose peace, productivity, or presence. If you're really feeling on your A-game, you may even be able to juggle two. But you can never balance all three."
Wow! That's exactly what I had been trying to do! I wanted to be present and in the moment with my kids, be productive in my business and at peace with my home and relationships. The frustration came when I inevitably fell short in one of these areas.
Now, I can't say I've figured it all out and have a beautiful solution to "make it all happen" everyday. But I have found a few systems to help me find that balance and still show up in every area of my life, and I hope something here can help you too!
Accept that you aren't going to be able to do it all! Ok, so this may sound obvious. But you not only have to realize that you aren't superwoman, you have to learn to be okay with that! For me, that looks something like telling myself, "It's ok if you leave the bed unmade today. No one is coming over anyway, and you can always just keep the door closed."
Change your sleeping habits. This is a tough one for me because I am NOT a morning person whatsoever! However, by waking up just thirty minutes to an hour before the rest of my family, I can welcome some calm into my name and spend a few moments gathering my thoughts and thinking through what I can reasonably accomplish in my day. I also find that I can accomplish a lot of work for my business while I watch Netflix before bed!
Invest in something that is going to motivate you to move forward. For me, one of the greatest motivators is knowing that I have spent money on education that has potential to push me forward. Now, I'm not saying go and spend money you don't have! But once you're "invested" in something, you're much more likely to take action. That's why I currently made the leap to invest in my business through the Katelyn James Business Course! The coursework of this class is extensive and intense, but I know that learning and growing is the only way I can keep moving forward. Through these classes, I have already learned SO much about social media, marketing, blogging and the logistics of running an authentic business. I am so excited to apply the things I am learning to create a better client experience for each of my couples and family's this year!
This short list is not a guarantee to help you accomplish it all. In fact, go ahead and count on the fact that you probably won't! But don't forget, that's okay! You weren't created to be everything for everyone all the time. Keep doing the best you can each day, give yourself grace, and let's keep walking on this beautiful journey together!
