Life is pretty crazy right now… and I feel like I am juggling all the balls but also feeling very unsettled. I know I am not alone in this, and sometimes I even feel bad for saying it out aloud but sometimes it helps too.
We are doing all THE things at the moment: my life is crazy, my schedule is madness. my head is a shambles, my sleep is all over the show, there aren’t enough hours in the day, the weeks are flying by, our house is upside down, everything is breaking or falling apart and I am dropping all the balls. And yet, I don’t even know where to start. I am frozen and at the height of procrastination. Hence the reason I am typing a blog post instead of sorting my shizz out!
it’s been a mad couple of weeks – five busy school schedules, a very sick husband, our au pair away on honeymoon, every appliance giving up on us at home, academic test season approaching, toddlers at home sick, all the annual appointments, birthday season approaching, full social calendars, clutter piling up and almost the end of term and holidays again.
How?!
I am absolutely shattered at the end of each day and find myself collapsing into bed to close my eyes rather than tending to to-do lists or admin, even too tired to catch up on a series or read my favourite book and no time to share my creative thoughts on my blog too.
My soul does not cope with clutter and I need to feel organised and structured to feel peaceful. Our house is not only falling apart but also upside down as I haven’t got to clearing out cupboards or old artwork, old papers, print photos or milestone albums. For some, this isn’t important and the last thing on your mind during a busy season but for me – it calms my soul and helps me rest easy.
I need to find the time and space to make lists and work through them and get back to a place of peace and rest – even amongst the chaos of life. I need to find my rhythm and get into a good routine again…
How are you managing through the start of the year? Any helpful tips for those that are staying on top of things?
x
Oh friend! I can very much relate to this. I have been feeling this like every other week lately!!! Chaos. And I can’t feel quite like myself until I have the peace and order I need. I am learning to let that go and try to go with the flow but it can be so hard. Praying that in the midst of the crazy, you will give yourself lots of grace. And that your moment of peacefulness is hopefully just around the corner. Know you are not alone! You have five amazing beautiful children – that in itself is a huge daily task. They are clothed and loved. And some days that has to be enough (they are already so lucky to have just that!). Hugs!!!
Beautiful, Cals!
I am not one on giving advice, but maybe some of the below can help you out? The one thing you can do is remind yourself that the most important “to do” is being present with your children. You know this and you fulfil this role above and beyond. You are raising God-breathed children and Jesus followers, children with honest values and exceptional morals, kind hearts, and children with a zest for life and with a desire to always give of their best, help others, and be the kind of friends altar any child is lucky to have! You’re raising happy, healthy, polite, fun and gracious children, stand-up examples for this world and younger generation! What a tremendous gift you’re giving to this world!
This alone is more than enough. You are more than enough. You are doing everything you can, and more, and putting your best foot forward each day, so maybe be a little easier on yourself, knowing that your A-type personality, at the end of the day, will not let you down, and you will get your life back into the kind of order you thrive in. Rest in this certainty.
I always find that when we’re uncomfortable, we find opportunity for tremendous personal growth: Personally, if I want to grow and develop in life, I actively step outside of my comfort zone and embrace situations that may feel challenging or uneasy, as staying comfortable often hinders my own personal progress. I know that too much comfort also kills my drive. It makes me stay where I am rather than venturing out to the unknown to become better.
There’s a beautiful quote that reads: “Comfort is the enemy of growth.”
Maybe God is calling you to greater heights through this season of your life? Maybe pray on it and ask for the lesson in all of this and for Jesus to show you the blessings in your current situation and how you can grow as a person? The bottom line is that growth is uncomfortable because you’ve never been here before – you’ve never been this version of you. So give yourself a little grace and breathe through it. There is a silver lining in this a gift from God that you’ll inherit through it all.
Practically, as organisation is key to your peace, perhaps start with one or two “to do’s” each day, a mini-list just to get back into the swing of things. When you look at the whole picture of what needs to be done, I’m not surprised you feel overwhelmed but maybe instead just look at 1-3 things each day and do those, and then you might start to feel a little more capable and aligned to who you are? As the infamous saying goes, “There is only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.” Solve your assignments by breaking them into smaller tasks,
Enlist help from others/a professional company, perhaps delegating is not your strongest suit (I would not know and stand to be corrected) because you are passionate about your family and home, but you do get amazing companies that come into one’s home and help one organise one’s things. I follow @done.neatly on IG (https://www.instagram.com/done.neatly?igsh=Ym9jcTQxejIya202 ) an American-based company where you work with expert, trust-worthy and A-type personalities in your home to get get your life and home re-organised! They do most of the work for you, you’re just there as an over-seeing eye. I know of mkmethod.co.za in South Africa which I think is a Durban-based company. Two lovely young ladies run the business.
Hope you get something out of the above.
Sending you much love and know, you are doing the best you can with your current level of consciousness and time. This is enough.
Love, Tates