We rush to work and then rush home. The kids have practice, music lessons and then we have to get to the church. We have to get to the gym. We sign up to help, host parties and work on fundraisers all the while holding down the mundane tasks for the week like laundry, changing diapers, cooking, cleaning, helping with homework and grocery shopping. The kids have recitals and weekend tournaments. We have business luncheons, work meetings, carpool duty. The list is long and exhausting.
 
I mean really, who even has time for creative pursuits? Date nights? Time alone to recharge: whether that’s sports, reading a book, tinkering on projects or creating with our hands. 
 
Isn’t that why the majority of people “veg” on the couch with ice cream at night? Because the brain can be turned off. Laugh. Cry. Get angry at the character on-screen. And then… turn the TV off too.
 
Why can’t life be like that? Why can’t we just turn it off and go to bed?
 
Oh, wait. We can. It’s called learning to say, “Enough!”
 
I understand that there’s some things you can’t avoid. Work to feed the family and pay the bills, check. But really, everything else is pretty negotiable. Including the kids education and activities, as well as how much time you spend volunteering, socializing, or doing fun, physical, or creative activities.
 
 
When I see the calendar start to fill up, but realize there isn’t one date night scheduled – I see that as “out of balance.” If I have time to take my kids to 4 hours of gymnastics in a month, but can’t find a 4-hour window for quality time with my husband, then something is wrong. This is when I start pulling back and saying no. I start calling baby-sitters, circle the time in sharpie on the schedule and start shifting other things.
 
But sadly, busy is the new norm. It’s not like the “busy season” actually goes away and we have a time of refreshing and renewal (unless we intentionally go away and vacation.) Usually life continues to hum along and we enter into a different busy-ness.

And I get it–there are extenuating circumstances at times. I totally understand. My husband has 80+ hour work weeks where he’s working from another state. But when he comes home, we pull everything off the schedule and we refuel as a family. I get that this isn’t the case for everyone, but each of us do have choices to make.
 
The question becomes: what can you change?
 
Look at the calendar. Really look. What can you delegate, or decline? Which responsibilities can relinquish for this season? How are you going to dictate your schedule instead of letting it rule your life?
 
Be purposeful in your plans. Each day is a gift; we need to spend it wisely.