Sometimes in goal setting, there is too much going on at one time. You might know this as multitasking. And studies are showing that multitasking doesn't work so well. If you are trying to do everything at once, it's hard to do any one thing well. You might halfway finish a bunch of things, but they're still only halfway finished, which is not really finished at all.
Since becoming a mom, I have resigned myself to the fact of life that I'm not going to accomplish the same amount of stuff that I used to be able to in a day. My typical day goes something like this: wake up, feed baby, get ready for work, work, pick up baby, feed baby, put baby down for nap, shovel lunch while baby is sleeping, feed baby, put baby down for afternoon nap, shower, feed baby, make dinner, entertain baby, feed baby, get baby ready for bed, finish whatever I can once baby goes down for the night. Right now, "baby" rules my to do list. He comes first. And that's ok. But somewhere in that time frame, I have to do other things like fold laundry, wrap Christmas gifts, and of course, empty the dishwasher.
Enter my new motto: "Lower Your Expectations". Yes, I still have goals that I want to accomplish. But, I am choosing to pare down my to-do list to one or two things that I can get done in a day. The rest will have to wait for now.
As a result of this new motto, I am still accomplishing things, but at a slower pace while caring for my son full time. And I feel great about that because I am still finishing my to-do list by the end of the day, but it's just smaller.
Sometimes in our lives, we will simply have to lower our expectations of what we can get done in twenty-four hours. You may not be taking care of an infant, but maybe you have aging parents to look after. Maybe you're facing an illness that zaps you of your energy. Or maybe, you are dealing with none of those things, but simply need to slow down and savor the season.
Do me a favor. Cut your to-do list down this week. Even if it's just two items: what can you stand to let go of? What can you move to next week? With the time you save, spend it loving on the people in your life. Drive around just for the sake of looking at Christmas lights in your neighborhood (this is a very relaxing practice for me!). And then, do the things on your to-do list that are left and feel proud of yourself for still accomplishing your goals, but truly taking the time to slow down. You and I will all be happier for it! Yes, I give you permission to lower your expectations!
Something to add to your to-do list: enjoying the holiday lights! Especially if you had to put them up at your house!
