How to Do It All (and Stay Sane)

Do you ever wonder how other people manage to do it all (manage work, kids, household, self care, volunteer activities, and so on) and never appear frazzled? I sometimes get asked from readers, “how do you do it all?” In fact, I think the most common problem readers ask me for help with is figuring out how to manage all the different things on their plate. There's only 24 hours in the day, and there's so much to do. If you're scratching your head wondering how some ladies manage to get it all done, you're not alone.

I'm going to let you in on my “doing it all” secrets. Here it is:

Not to disappoint you, but I don't actually do it all! Far from it. You see, I get asked from blog readers who only see small, curated snippets of my life how I get it all done (thus assuming that I do). However, I've never been asked that from a close, real life friend or family member. Why? Because they see more of me (enough to know that I don't do it all), and they know there are things I let slide, and they've seen my mistakes. So, when you look at someone, and assume that they do it all, you probably aren't seeing the whole picture.

I don't try to do it all. There are lots of things I don't do, and I'm okay with that. I'd rather spend my time focused on the things that are most important to me. For example, I don't really do much to decorate my house. Many rooms in our house have absolutely nothing hanging on the walls (and we've lived here almost 4 years). I rarely read. I know it's a good thing to do, but it's not something I have time for right now. I don't garden. I don't spend any time couponing or matching up our meal plans with sales flyers, even though it could save us some money. That's just a few examples of things I don't do. Honestly, I used to feel guilty for not doing those things, and I really tried to fit them in. However, it just made me more frazzled, and didn't allow time for things that are more important to me.

I ask for help. Not only do I not do it all, I certainly don't do it all myself. I'll admit sometimes it's hard for me to let things go, but it's the best thing.

I plan and prioritize. Planning is one of the best things to help me feel less distracted and frazzled plus it allows me to be intentional about how I spend my time. I start by planning each day the night before or first thing in the morning. This way I know what I need to do and what's most important. I also plan longer term, so I can accomplish everything I need to overall. If you want help planning your life, you'll love the Sweet Life Society. You'll get lots of beautiful planning printables to help you put together your perfect planner plus you'll get a course that walks you through how to set up your planner.

There's a lot more I could say about this topic, but I wanted to keep it a reasonable length. Let us know in the comments below or in the Facebook group your advice for “doing it all.”