A New Year, A New Not So Busy You

(A photo of a calendar I will not be buying this year.)

Why do we continue to label ourselves as “busy”? I just don’t get it.      Busy afternoon? Sure. Busy day? Possibly. Busy week? Maybe.                Busy month? Could be. Busy year? I hope not. Busy life? Please, no.             Busy mom? Please, please, no.

I will say it again: I am so much more than a busy mom. You are so much more than a busy mom.

If you are looking back at last year, looking ahead into this new year and thinking that you are ready to start living a full life without the busy, then here’s to a new year, a new not so busy you!

We all live different lives with different priorities, responsibilities and unique situations. A new year, a new not so busy you requires you to take some time to reflect on various areas of your life and find ways to: make intentional choices, simplify and slow down.

Today let’s consider a few areas of your life where you might be able to be just a little less busy.

Home life

Routines. Establish routines to combat busyness. A few weeks ago I shared 5 task to do before bedtime to prepare for the next day. This evening routine takes just a few minutes, and it can save so much time and prevent unnecessary craziness in the morning.

There are many routines you can implement in order to have things run a little more smoothly thus preventing extra busyness. These routines include (but are not limited to): an evening routine, a morning routine, a laundry routine, and a cleaning routine. Pick one of these routines, implement it for a few weeks, tweak as necessary and notice and enjoy a little less busyness in your home life.

Quick tip: Do 1 load of laundry a day.

Meals. Meal plan to eliminate evenings spent racing to the store or calling for take-out. I fully believe in meal planning and have been doing it with success for many years. Meal planning does not have to be a complicated process, so please don’t make it harder than it needs to be. You can meal plan weekly or even monthly. There are so many recipe ideas available to you. Pick 5-7 simple meals for this week and make your evenings just a little less busy.

Quick tip: Create a master list of meals your family likes, and refer to that when meal planning each week.

Commitments

We don’t want to live exclusively inside our own four walls. Building relationships, being involved in our communities, volunteering in schools, and serving people are good and important ways to spend our time. Sometimes, though, we overdo it. We spread ourselves too thin. We get involved in things because we want to look good to others. We over fill our calendars and over stuff our lives. Be involved. Be committed. Serve. Do good. Use your talents and gifts. At the same time, consider your choices, your time, your energy, your motives.

Quick tip: List your priorities and your commitments. Do they align?

Your children’s activities and commitments

Here we go. I know. You might not want to go here. We have to go here. Just like we can over stuff our own calendars. We can also over stuff our children’s calendars. If your life is feeling crazy busy there’s a good chance your child’s life is crazy busy, and I’m guessing they are also feeling the squeeze. Allow your children time to be home, to be bored, to think, to breathe, to imagine, to create, to play with their siblings, to read a book, to draw a picture, to climb a tree, to cuddle next to you, to tell you their thoughts, hopes and fears. Sports, lessons (of various kinds), and other extra curricular activities are great and can be quite beneficial, so yes, let them be involved, but again, consider carefully how you fill their days.

Quick tip: Check in with your child at the end of each season. Ask them about their desired activities and provide your own not so busy insight as you consider the new season and the calendar before you.

Please don’t try to overhaul every area of your life at once. Hopefully, there was something that caught your eye, something that made you pause, something that jumped out at you. Start there. Chat about it with your spouse, a friend, maybe even your children.

A new year, a new not so busy you is a possibility. I hope today’s post encouraged you to begin the journey!

What about you? Are you looking to make this year and you not so busy? Share your thoughts! I’d love to hear them!

Until next time,

Charissa

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Charissa

Welcome! I am so glad you are here! I'm Charissa, the Not So Busy Mom, wife and mother of 3. Join me as we pursue a full life without the busy.

Author: Charissa

Welcome! I am so glad you are here! I'm Charissa, the Not So Busy Mom, wife and mother of 3. Join me as we pursue a full life without the busy. View all posts by Charissa