The Business of Busyness-10/18/11

Did you ever feel like if you weren't running in three directions at once you were doing something wrong? The myth that permeates our culture is that we are what we do, as we talked about last week in Identity Theft. That myth often leads us to overcommitting ourselves and losing sight of what really matters.

I challenged everyone to think about why we do what we do, and got a range of answers.

• So it is done right.
• Because I want people to like me.
• Because I feel like I'm supposed to_______________. (Mine was volunteer in the classroom for this one.)
• Because I feel guilty if I say no.

We also tend to overcommit our kids to activities, and before we know it, we've eaten 4 out of 5 weeknight meals in the car trying to get from one thing to the next. Momma's that have kids under two, take note of this. Don't be afraid to be choosy in deciding how to spend your kid's time. In an effort to give our kids every opportunity in life, we sometimes take away the opportunity to let them just be kids and figure out how to have fun on their own.

The key is to figure out what matters, what your goals and priorities are for this season, and use that as your measuring stick. If you find that outside commitments, or even household expectations, are not supporting your goals, then cut them loose.

In the end, this season of motherhood is for a finite period of time. Be intentional about making the most out of it...I always remember the joke about giving a child a huge fabulous gift and they only played in the box it came in. What you are doing with them matters less than the fact that you are doing it with them.

Next Tuesday promises to be hilarious...see you then!