My Mission to Have It All
I’m in a period of life where I have a lot of goals…
While this is exciting and thrilling. It can also be, admittedly, a little overwhelming.
I’m finding I’m regularly questioning myself: Am I losing focus? Are these actions detracting from my other goal? Will I really have time for all of this?!
Success, happiness, and fulfillment in all areas of life: career, family, relationships, finances, and personal growth. Easy peasy, right?!
<insert gritted teeth emoji>
Having it all looks different for each one of us.
It probably looks different from year to year.
And, I’m finding, it looks different from week to week!
But with a little internal reflection and discipline, I think we can have it all.
Here’s how I’m navigating my journey to having it all.
(Confession: what’s to follow is going to be as much of a pep talk and reminder to myself, as it is a roadmap to help others navigate this same dilemma. Join me.)
Understand how your goals can complement each other
This concept has been very impactful for me.
For example, I have big goals of building a strong community of women focused on eliminating overwhelm to create the life of their dreams! (#shebosslife!) I also want to keep up the momentum with my home renovation (remember this). But the time I spend creating content and working on house projects is all time away from my loved ones!
This can make whatever I focus on feel like a slog knowing I’m “neglecting” something else.
But, what if all these puzzle pieces are actually complimentary?
Let me explain.
Working on the home renovations is actually time spent with my husband, tackling unknowns together and bonding over the seemingly endless list of projects.
Setting goals and making time to work on the renovation also challenges me to put the very tools and tips I write about in She Boss Life to work! I have to keep a close watch on my mindset so I don’t slip into overwhelm and I have to build a strong trust with myself to prioritize effectively. I have to practice what I preach.
When I can step back and see how it all is working together in harmony, I feel less guilt or concern over placing a higher priority and focus on one area over another. Because I know all my goals are beneficial to each other. There is certain to be a positive ripple effect.
Plan for the week, not a single day
This is a great lesson I learned from Laura Vanderkam in her book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. She explains we should think about 168 hours (a full week) not 24 hours (a full day) when assessing balance with our life goals. Any given 24 hours might not be balanced. But your 168 hours can be.
We often look at a single day as evidence of where our priorities are based on where we’re spending our time.
For example, a single day for me might include 8 hours of sleep, 3 hours for working out, journaling, and getting ready, 8 hours working, 2 hours creating content, and 3 hours for eating dinner, picking up the house, and winding down alone to recharge (hello my fellow introverts!).
Do you know what that’s missing? A phone call with my mom. Watching a movie while snuggling my husband and dog. Painting the new barn door we’re waiting to install.
My priorities must be out of whack.
However, taking a step back and looking at my full week, I can see a date night scheduled with my husband for Friday night, a full afternoon on Saturday painting, and a Sunday of phone calls, family dinners, and sneaking in a little Netflix.
That seems more “balanced”.
That seems like I’m making progress toward all my goals and the bigger picture for my life.
I love to plan my schedule a week at a time for this very reason. This approach allows me to see the full high-level view of how I’m really prioritizing. Then I can make better decisions on when and how I’m divvying up my time to make sure I’m making progress on it all.
Allow an ebb and flow between priorities
When I’m focused on one thing, there are six other things I’m not focused on.
Or so I could believe.
But, instead of thinking “I want to do it all” I switch to “I want to do this one thing today”.
This shift embraces an ebb and flow between priorities each day. I still get wins, without the drama of beating myself up about what I didn’t get to.
For example, I have a full weekend planned to crank through another house project. That means I won’t have my regular Saturday article-writing session. But that’s not a problem. I can find time during the weekdays for writing. Or…maybe I take this week off.
Ebb and flow.
If you want to make one goal a higher priority for the week, extend your deadlines for yourself elsewhere. Let yourself off the hook on unrealistic expectations. Be okay with saying no…to yourself.
Can you have it all?
Having it all is possible. It may be difficult to achieve everything simultaneously. But maybe that’s okay.
Prioritize, manage your time, make conscious choices…and you can get there.
For my current season in life, I want to maintain AND expand. I want to spread my focus across multiple goals. And I’m making that happen.
I’ve decided: I can have it all.
Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed? Do you feel like there are always important tasks left undone, hanging over your head? It's time to take control of your productivity and prove to yourself you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.
Check out the 7 Days: Consider it Done! guide to transform the way you approach your to-do list.
Say goodbye to procrastination and unfulfilled goals and hello to a sense of control and reignited passion for life. Consider it done!
