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C'est la Vie: How Busy Is Too Busy?

There are a few things I just won't do. But honestly, only a few. You can call it a greatest strength or a greatest weakness. Some of you who are wired like I am think it's a strength until you are about ready to rip your hair out because you haven't had a moment to sit down and breath since last April. Those of you who are not of the same mind as myself, are finding yourself becoming exhausted just thinking about taking on more than your usual work week.

I say that with no judgment. Everyone is different. Most days I wish I only wanted to do one thing. I wish that I was someone who woke up, got kids ready for the day, and went to one job that I was absolutely thrilled to do. Then I'd come home, make a delicious dinner and kick back in my sweats. It's just not how I'm wired.

But I have wise friends who help to keep me in check. How much can I/you take on before we just aren't doing anything very well? How many activities can we balance before everything comes tumbling down? The answer is not the same for everyone and we all walk through different seasons of life when we take on more or take a break. That's all normal.

Right now I feel like we are in the prime of our child-rearing. Our children are pre-school and school-aged and we are very involved. We have established that each child can only have one or two activities at a time. We keep Sundays free of activities and try to have a "family day" each week. We won't schedule more than two nights away from the house each week for meetings or other obligations.

With a new school year and new activities on the horizon, I just wonder "how busy is too busy?" The sad answer? I don't really know until I'm already too busy. Here are a few thoughts on knowing when you've hit the "too busy" mark:

  • no time for date nights
  • you're irritated and aggravated most of the time
  • you don't feel like you have time for yourself/ with your kids/ with your spouse
  • you haven't called a friend in weeks
  • you realize you've lost your sense of purpose
  • you find yourself over-indulging to compensate for your exhaustion
What are some ways that you keep yourself and your family from being too busy?

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