When You're Juggling all the Balls, but Feel Like You're Dropping Most of Them

Have you seen the movie Mom’s Night Out?

Oh my gosh. It’s my second favorite movie of all time. (The Greatest Showman comes in at first. So good!)

There’s a scene in Mom’s Night Out where the mom is sitting in her closet (in the dark) eating chocolate. Her husband finds her there and asks what she’s doing. “I’m stress paralyzed,” she replies.

Oh, sweet mom. I feel you!

Have you been there? So many things to do that you don’t even know where to start. *I’m waving my hand wildly over here… that’s me!*

It might feel more like you’re trying to juggle allllll the balls but they just end up flying everywhere, out of control. It might feel like failure or it might feel like you’re drowning, crushed from the weight of responsibilities.

I’m with you, sweet friend. I’ve been there. (In fact, I’m partially writing this to myself, because I still have days when I’m stress paralyzed. You’re not alone, girl!)

Balance?

Don’t let yourself believe the lie that “balance” happens in real life.⠀No one has it all figured out. No one actually has it all together (even if Instagram makes it look that way).⠀⠀

Here’s what I know… whether you are dealing with your work, your spouse, your kids, your leisure time, your workout time, your walk the dog time, your self-care or personal growth time… whatever you are doing at the moment, choose to be present.⠀⠀

It’s not about finding balance. It’s about embracing the moment you are in. Whether it’s good, bad or messy, be there and be present.⠀

One Thing at a Time

Remember that age old saying “How do you eat an elephant?”

One bite at a time.

Stop focusing on allllll the things, and start focusing on the one, most important (next) thing. Take a step forward, then another. You’ll be shocked at how much quicker you get #allthethings done by working on the ONE next thing that needs to be done.

Do What You Can When You Can

Some of the best advice I ever received came from a working mom. She said, “do what you can when you can.”

I would add to that “give yourself grace.”

Being a wife, mama (counselor, cook, cleaning lady, personal attendant, organizer, chauffeur, snack packer, laundry folder and more) and businesswoman at the same time can be challenging!

My youngest started Kindergarten this year, so I’m in a new (and awesome!) season of life!
It gives me a chance to focus on business during the day and focus on the kiddos in the evenings and on weekends, but there were years where I would work with a baby on my lap. (I actually miss that!) And there were a LOT of times when I just couldn’t get everything done that I wanted to. It was a part of that beautiful season of life!

I thought everyone was judging me because my sink had dishes in it, or because I didn’t tackle all the book work that needed to be finished for the 3rd quarter, but here’s the truth: I WAS THE ONLY ONE judging me! Don’t be so hard on yourself. NO ONE is questioning what you did or didn’t get done today.

I look back and laugh. If only I’d fully embraced this truth earlier: Simply do what you can when you can, and girl, give yourself some grace!

Make a “Top 3 List” each Morning

Each morning, jot down three things that will move the needle towards your goals. (Or the three most important things that need to be done that day. Maybe it’s as simple as catching up on the laundry. #priorities) Then tackle those three things first thing in the morning, even before checking your email or opening the Facebook app.

No matter how the rest of the day goes, you will have completed those three things. Three may not be as many as 5 or 10 or 20, but getting three important things done is way better than getting zero things accomplished because you’re too stress paralyzed to make a game plan. Winning!

Ask for Help from your Partner, your Tribe, your Neighbor, even your Mom!

I gotta tell you, friend… Sometimes the answer is asking for help. Whether it’s our own pride, or us worrying that we will “bother” someone, most of us just don’t ask for the help we need.

You’d be surprised at how willing (and delighted) people would be to help you out. You and your spouse, you’re on the same team, working towards the same end goals. Ask them to help and be specific. Be sure to reciprocate. Win Win!

Hopefully, you have an awesome tribe of wonderful, uplifting friends. (Read more about the power of a tribe here!) (And be sure to join my online tribe here!) Tribe mates LOVE to help each other out. In fact, they wish you would ask for their help more often. It brings them joy to help make your life easier.

Humble yourself and ask for some help, girl!

Get Honest With Yourself and Say “No” Sometimes”

Do a quick check-in with yourself.

What are you so busy with? What balls are you juggling? Are there some extracurriculars you could cut out that would allow you more time and space for rest and peace?

Maybe it’s time to step down from President of the PTO or let someone else be the volunteer nursery helper at church. Maybe it’s time to say “no” to aimlessly trolling social media for 2 hours straight. (Get my free Guide to Saying “NO” here.)

Ask yourself this question “Are the balls that I’m juggling moving me towards my ideal life? Towards my goals and dreams? Towards the best thing for my family and myself?” If the answer is YES, then by all means, use the tips above and get to juggling in an efficient way, but if the answer is NO, then girl, drop some of those balls so you can juggle the remaining ones with a much happier spirit!

Sweet Friend, Give yourself some grace (and some credit)! You’re actually doing an AMAZING job. I’m 100% certain you don’t hear that often enough, but it’s true! And all the things you do? They do not go unnoticed. You are appreciated. You matter. You are making a difference in our big, beautiful world. Now, back to juggling, but maybe a few less balls this time around?

I got you, girl! Learn how to say “no” with grace and honor with my free guide The Happy Chick’s Guide to Saying “NO” (Download it here.)