Life is so dang busy. If you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you’re a mom. And if you’re a mom, I’m going to assume you know exactly what I mean. Twenty-four hours each day is not not nearly enough to accomplish all of the things on my list and still have any time left for me, myself, and I. And that’s considering the fact that I only sleep about six hours each night. In fact, sometimes I become so overwhelmed by my list that I end up paralyzed. Unable to do anything except aimlessly scroll through Facebook and Twitter. So here’s a handy-dandy list of 12 things I would love to do, but can’t seem to find/make/have time for:
- Organizing Pictures: So many pictures, so little time. Every January I tell myself I’m going to do a photo yearbook of the previous year. So far, I have like four unfinished books. I finally downloaded Amazon Photos to sort of keep things organized. But of course, that depends on actually uploading the pictures to the app. Good thing I got the iPhone with the extra storage this time.
- Yard work and Home Repairs: My husband loves working in the yard. I loathe it. When we spent a weekend updating a portion of our landscaping, my only rule was low maintenance. But despite that, every time I drive up to the house and see the weeds coming up through the mulch, I want to pull my hair out! And how is it that we always need new weatherstripping? I’m pretty sure “power wash house” has been on my list everywhere I’ve lived for years, but who has time?
- Washing/Vacuuming/Maintaining my car: When the zombie apocalypse comes, I’ll be prepared. My car will blend into its surroundings, and we have enough provisions (in the form of Cheerios, Goldfish and stale french fries) to last a lifetime. If I’m lucky, my oil will have been changed relatively recently.
- Keeping Up with my shows and podcasts: I LOVE TV. I LOVE Podcasts. But at 30-90 minutes a pop, I feel like I’m constantly negotiating with myself about which ones I want to watch/listen to most. And it’s not FAIRRRRR.
- Meal Planning/Cooking/Learning to cook: I don’t know how to cook. I can follow a recipe but just barely. It makes trying to figure out what to make for dinner feel like an Olympic sport. I suppose I could start binge watching cooking shows, but see #4.
- Reading: You know how I said I love TV and podcasts? Yeah, I love books, too. And when I start reading, I’ll stay up for days, holding my eyelids open until I finish a book. This makes adulting tough, so much too often I end up avoiding books altogether. I can occasionally listen to an audio book. But that brings me to #7…
- Listening to Music: You know how I said I love TV and podcasts and books? I also love music. When I actually listen to music, I instantly feel the stress melt away. It soothes my weary soul. But I constantly find that I’m choosing between catching up on a show or a podcast or reading a book. And since the music will always be there without piling up like a show, I end up neglecting the former. And don’t even ask me about any songs that have been released in the last five years. Unless they were on Grey’s, of course.
- Meditation: I’ve heard all of the amazing benefits about spending even a few minutes per day developing a mindfulness practice. I’ve even downloaded an app. But I still can’t seem to slow down long enough to make it happen.
- Cleaning Baseboards: About 8 months ago, my husband and I bought a house with beautiful, intricate woodwork. In my excitement, I didn’t consider how much dust and dog hair would end up in every crevice of the molding! I could make a full-time job out of keeping the baseboards clean. I’ve found they make a great chore for preschoolers, but the quality control needs some work.
- Volunteering: This one creates a lot of guilt. I always feel like I want to do more and get more involved. But at the end of the day, I’m spent. I look at moms who seem to do it all and be involved all over town, and I want whatever they have! I also have trouble picking one or two things that I’m passionate about. There are so many truly wonderful causes, and it’s hard to pick just one.
- Errands/Household Management: There are always so many things that need to be purchased, picked up, fixed, renewed, followed up on. My brain is exploding with lists.
- Naps: Hahahahahahaha. Ha.
Despite my clear failures as an adult available in list form above, there are a few things that I almost always make time to fit in:
- Reading the Entire Internet Every Night: Ok, so maybe this is why the other list is so long. But seriously, how do I stop????
- Dessert: Because, yum.
- Therapy: Oh no! I just admitted I’m broken. But seriously, finally deciding to make the time to go to therapy is one of the best things I’ve ever done. Motherhood takes a toll on your mental health, and therapy has been a huge help in my life. I regret not going sooner. And I’m not afraid to tell people about it.
- Bedtime Stories, Songs and Snuggles: Every night before bed, Etta Mae gets three books and three songs and lots of hugs and kisses. Though her dad and I each have to miss occasionally, we prioritize this nightly ritual. And somehow, it makes the other stuff just a tiny bit less stressful.
