The secret to how I ‘do it all’
Sometimes people ask me how I do it all. From their end it looks like I work, sew, go to the gym, take pictures, and blog. But the truth is, it’s not like you think.
It’s not a balancing act, it’s more like a juggling act, and at any time I can pick three balls to juggle.
It may sound strange, but I’ve been studying my habits lately and I think I finally understand my ways. Here are the things I’m obligated to do or enjoy doing any given day (in no particular order):
Take care and play with my kids
Work
Get a good workout at the gym
Spend time with my husband
Blogging
Sew
Eat healthier
Read my current book
Clean my house
Cook food for my family
Sew something for my kids
Laundry
Plan some special craft or activity for my kids
Work on my church calling
Take photos for my blog
Hang out with my friends
There is no way I could do all of these things in a single day. While I believe I came close a time or two back when I had one kid and full-time daycare (actually, nevermind, I never made it to the gym back then), nowadays I can only manage to do about two of these a day, three tops. And the first two are obligations I HAVE to do every day.
Lately I’ve been choosing the first three. Adding the gym to my daily duties, as well as eating well (at least attempting to), and cooking more (seriously uncomplicated meals) for my kids. This means I haven’t sewn anything in months, my house is usually a disaster, I haven’t been keeping in touch with with my friends, or taking photos, and my blog… Well, you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t been here as much as I’d like to.
When I dive into a good book (I’m in the middle of the Matched series right now) it’s difficult to be motivated to do much else. Lately I’m incorporating the reading and working out in one. I’ll get on a stair-stepper-like machine for an hour and keep my book in front of me. Or I’ll pace my livingroom trying to get to my daily goal of 10 thousand daily steps while reading my Kindle app.
Sometimes I get on an awesome creative high and have a million ideas for my blog, and videos I want to make of my kids. I’ll work on special photo projects and stay on top of my house. But then that means I’m not working out, I’m eating more fast food (those seem to go hand in hand for me), and my laundry is piling up.
I actually had my laundry down to a science a couple of months ago. Washed and folded every night or two while I watched a show. That all went out the window once I decided to install MyFitnessPal.
Once I get back to my pre-pregnancy weight I imagine I’ll pick up another item on my list and backoff the gym a bit.
It’s amazing how much time, effort and energy kids can suck out of my day. They are by far the most time consuming task on my list.
There’s a lot I’d love to do every day, and maybe some day I’ll be able to do it all (when my kids are much older and more independent). But for now, I’m ok with spending a majority of my day making meals for my messy kids and attempting to keep them entertained.
Tags: balancing, Balancing career and motherhood, do it all, motherhood
![A couple of days ago Jayda and I went to our first book tour event to see Rick Riordan, the author of our beloved Percy Jackson series on stage in Austin. We got to hear a little bit more about the Disney+ TV series coming in December, plus an announcement about two new Percy Jackson books. Which I know, know… I’ve been raving about these books for YEARS and yall are probably sick of it, but they’ve been so monumental in raising Jayda and we are over the moon excited to see an adaptation that in the words of Uncle Rick, “is [actually] good.” Jayda decided to channel her @leahsavajeffries (playing Annabeth Chase) and wear her hair in giant puff pigtails and she looked so adorable. Such a great night surrounded by so many people who share a love for the same story. It’s been inspiring to watch this story grow in popularity through the years and I have a feeling it’s about to reach a whole other level.
PS: I know I’m only a few months into being a parent of a teen, but so far? 👌🏾
#thelighteningthief #percyjackson #percyjacksonandtheolympians #chaliceofthegods #percyjacksonseries #demigods #annabethchase](https://cherish365.com/wp-content/uploads/sb-instagram-feed-images/385174086_1319393025378088_7785771384085790794_nlow.jpg)
I’m pretty sure no one can do it all- unless your filthy rich and can hire a cooking staff, personal trainer, nanny, AND personal assistant. I wish I had time to do all those things in a day and still get some decent sleep. But alas!
Guess I better go play the lottery now.
hahaha! Seriously! Personal chef would be the first person I hired if I was filthy rich. I’d prefer that over almost anything else. Oh the delicious food I wouldn’t need to cook! (A girl can dream).
I’m totally with you. Being a mom is definitely a balancing act. That’s what got me into blogging. I still don’t know how I do it all either. Like you, it’s in spirts. I pick three things on my list to get done, according to priorities. Nowadays, if I don’t get to everything, I don’t beat myself up. I’ve been gone from the blog too, as well as visiting my favorites. Even though it gets crazy, I try to enjoy it because the kids won’t stay young forever. I hate thinking about them growing up.
I’m so sad that visiting my favorite blogs was one of the first things I started slacking on when my time was limited. I’m trying to keep up with my own but that’s not even easy these days. It’s so much fun to do though, so I’m trying to keep it a habit. And you’re right, our kids won’t stay young forever, so it’s nice to try to soak it all up!
I was just having a conversation with my sister-in-law about how I’ve been at this parenting thing for almost two years now and I still don’t have a consistent schedule that seems to work and let me do everything I want to do and to not feel bad about it. Something always has to get neglected, and it can’t be the kids, so we have to learn to drop the guilt and move on, it’ll get done another day.
Totally. And for me, as soon as I get a “system” worked out, it all gets shaken up. I’m with ya! Let’s drop the guilt and move on! There’s a season for everything.
Cheers!! I am right there with you!
One thing I adore about you is that you appear to do it all (even though I know you don’t, like you’re saying here) but you ALWAYS have time to catch up with me. Always. 🙂
I read this quote once and I feel like it’s so very true (and important) to know: “we can have it all, just not all at a once.”
I get the “How do you do it all?” question all the time. My only response? “I don’t.” 24 hours is not enough time in the day to homeschool 7 kids, cook, clean, do my own graduate school work, volunteer with my kids’ activities. I would never sleep. So, I do the bare minimum a day (and I guess it helps that my oldest is 16 and can do a lot to help out) and move on. I cook with my slow cooker pretty much every single day. I live the life of a busy mom.
LOVE this post!
Great honest post! I am able to do more now because the girls are older, but like you if I am focused on particular things then other things will not get done. That is okay! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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