a unicycle on an elephant 🐘 🔥 🤹‍♀️

It seems fitting that my last message asked how you fit yourself into your day-to-day calendar.  📆

This week I come to you with a related question: 

When there is no way to do it all, how do you choose what to include, what to delay, and what to let go?

That has been a theme in my own life as well as so many of the conversations I'm hearing from others.  

Just recently a client told me, "I'm striving so hard to be everything to everyone, and I'm missing all the marks!"

The contrast between the desire to do "all the things" and the feeling of constantly falling short shows up again and again.

Lots of programs, books, and services promise to help in ways that imply there is a secret code - an elusive (but effective!) strategy - and that once you know it, you really will be able to do it all.  And do it WELL!

And if you don't accomplish this circus act of riding a unicycle on the back of an elephant while juggling flaming rings that lions are leaping through in rhythm with the song you're singing soprano... 😂🤣😂🤣

Well, that just means either there's something wrong with you OR you're not doing it right.  

Right?!?!

WRONG!

There's nothing wrong with you.  

You are NOT failing. 

Here's what I believe:

You're doing your best.  You're giving it your all.  And you are succeeding in more ways than you realize.  

AND, you can't do it all, all the time. 

There. I said it.  🫣

In fact, most of the time, what you want to do greatly exceeds what is realistic within the time limits you're allowing.

And yet, when that reality imposes its harsh limits, how often do you blame or criticize yourself?  (Be honest!) 😊

How often do you remind yourself that you did the best you could with the time and resources you had?

I'm betting that as you look at the world around you - all the people hurting internationally, nationally, in your local community, and within your own family...  

💟 You care deeply.

💟 You want to show up fully.

💟 You know what is at stake.

💟 You feel anything BUT complacent about the problems and issues affecting those you love near and far.  💔

💟 You are giving your all from your deepest reserves and running on fumes.

What if the problem isn't you?  

What if it's not any shortcoming in your drive, discipline, or determination?  

What if it's not even about managing time or energy efficiently...at least not at the root.

What if the origin of this contradiction between intention and outcome lies in the deeper, insidious expectations of capitalist culture, grind mentality, and myths of productivity...perhaps the same ones you already wholly object to in theory... and yet unintentionally internalized? 

What if it's these cultural mindsets and mandates that distort your view of what's reasonable and then berate you for not achieving it?

Even knowing this, it's hard to deprogram the feelings of falling short that come along with it.  

So, back to my first question...

When there is NO WAY to do it all, how do you choose what to include, what to delay, and what to let go?

You matter.  You make a difference.  I'm so thankful you're here.