On Simplifying and Realizing I Can’t Do It All

On Simplifying and Realizing I Can’t Do It All

I can’t believe it is going to be 2016 very very soon. 2015 has been an interesting year for me. It’s been a hard year. It’s be frustrating. But now it is almost over.
As I think ahead to 2016 a word keeps coming to mind…

Simplify

I know a lot of people pick a word for the year and I think mine is going to be “simplify” for 2016.

I have recently come to the conclusion that I can’t possibly do it all. Not all at the same time anyway. There is a lot going on in my life. I have a lot to do each and everyday. I am also one of those people who needs to have some downtime too. If I don’t get it, I get extremely anxious and frustrated. So I have to be careful about my scheduling.

I have three boys, 11, 8 and almost 5. I want them to be able to do what they want to do but within reason. My oldest two are not too big into sports but they do like swimming. My youngest will probably be starting soccer too. There is also homework to think about. Also, my 8-year-old with Asperger’s has a hard time when his after school time is not spent the way it normally is.

I have a husband who is gone a lot of the time so I don’t have that extra help. Most days I do all the cooking, homework time, bedtime and any cleaning that needs to be done. My boys have chores which helps but there is still a lot to do in the house.

I work from home as a writer and blogger and while I love this very much, balancing everything can be difficult at times. I have to make sure I keep up on what I need to do each day even when the boys have a day off or a long weekend.

I want to work on decluttering my home more than I did in 2015. We hope to move in the next few years and it will be easier to do with less stuff. I have already gone through a lot of my clothes but the toys could use another purge as well as random things we don’t even use anymore.

I want to focus on paying down debt because the less debt you have the simpler life becomes. I have been listening to the Enjoying Life on a Budget podcast and they have been really inspiring to me as they have been able to pay off a lot of debt and learn to live a simplier life.

I also plan to focus more on my writing, blogging and social media work as that is where my heart is. I feel like there have been some distractions and I need to let them go. This will be hard but it is something I have thought about for a long time now and I think 2016 is the year to focus and move forward in the direction I need to be going.  In the fall I will have all three boys in full-time school so that will help with my work hours.

I want to find ways to simplify my everyday life. I know there are things we can do and change to make this happen. It might take some work but it will be for the best.

As I think about all the things I want to do in my life I have to remember I can do some of them later. I don’t have to do them all right now, in the phase of life that I am in. It would just be too difficult to make it happen. I can do a lot, I do more than some but I can’t do it all and recognizing that is a big deal.

What about you? Do you ever feel like you are trying to do too much? What ways can you find to slow down and simplify your life a little bit?