Why I'm giving myself permission to drop the ball (and why you should too).

I’m a driven woman out to live a deep life and make a difference in the world.

I’ve been socially conditioned to believe that to have it all, I must do it all. But over the years, this feeling has been gnawing at me that I’m going after something unattainable.

No matter how many tasks I check off, more seem to appear.

Paid work, childcare, and housework are three separate jobs. Do I really have to stay on top of every little conflicting demand across all these areas? Do I have to be the perfect professional, the perfect mom, the perfect cook, the perfect homemaker?

No, I figure.

I realize I've got a few too many balls up in the air. And I've decided to drop a few.

What matters most to me is that I'm living the deep life, going after my purpose, and helping my kids grow into conscious global citizens.

That means my house is not going to be spick and span all the time (more so in lockdown times with school and work happening under the same roof) and that's alright. My kids are not going to have the yummiest of food dished up always. But they will have what's healthy provided to them. And occasionally, we'll indulge in ordering in our favorites.

What matters most to my kids is for me to hang out with them instead of spending time fulfilling social expectations of being a good mom.

If I can help my kids develop a positive relationship with themselves, their peers, and the world around them through daily check-ins, I know I’m an incredible mom even if the house is a mess.

What do I really have to do to make it happen?

Focus on what matters most and give myself permission to drop every other ball. I'm going to reach out more for help from others. I've realized that just because I can do something better and faster than others doesn't mean my doing it is the most efficient use of my time.

Your energies are finite. Spend them on what matters.

What we do is less important than the difference we make.

But what about the things that don't matter but you're absolutely obligated to do? Spend as little time and energy on them as possible. Because if you give things more time and energy than they deserve, they're no longer lesser things.

You've made them important by the life you've spent on them. And consequently, in so doing, you're stealing the life from the things that truly matter—your health, your family, your true commitments.

So, let's embrace imperfection, expect less of ourselves and more from others. Let's not be afraid to drop the ball on the lesser things. Let's stop sweating the small stuff.

Only then will we be able to focus on what we truly care about, devote the necessary energy into achieving our real goals, and create the type of rich, rewarding life we all deserve.

"It is essential for you to remember that the attention you give to any action should be in due proportion to its worth, for then you won't tire and give up, if you aren't busying yourself with lesser things beyond what should be allowed." - Marcus Aurelius