Stop trying to do it all, and start accomplishing more
Busy! Life is busy! Am I right? And it seems that it is only getting more so. The busier we get the less we live. But we tell ourselves I have to do X, Y, and Z or everything falls apart right? Trust me I know. As a homesteading, homeschooling, grow you own food, healthy home-made eating, busy, busy family, trust me I know. When we try to do it all, be everything to everybody, we burn ourselves out, and we are not any happier for all that effort.
Why I stopped “doing” it all
the cold hard truth is we can not be all things to all people, and still be getting done all the most important things in our lives.
1. Drop dead weight people
when you have big goals, or a busy schedule, or a vision or somewhere specific to go, the hardest thing is to run your best race with extra weight. Meaning people. You know what I mean some people just weigh you down in life, they just suck the life right out of you. They are the lead weight hanging onto your balloon. Sometimes these people may be people who are very close to you, but weight you down. Free yourself. A while back in When No is what’s best, I talked about people and relationships that are toxic. Free yourself and you will be surprised how much more you can get done, and how much better you feel.
2. Set goals & prioritize
I believe goal setting is extremely important. You wouldn’t get in your car without a destination in mind, so why start your day, week, month or year without a destination in mind? One of the best tools I know of is using a planner. If you want to get anything accomplished you need a goal and a path for getting there. The best tool I have ever found is this awesome planner, I use it daily, and now do not know how I ever lived without it.
Law of Attraction Success Deluxe Planner – A 12 Month Journey Creating Your Dream Life – Personal Journal & Week Planner & Goal Planner & Organizer-B5 size (6.9″ x 9.8″) Rose Gold-By Freedom Mastery
I realized a few years ago I was following my life wherever it went and I wasn’t really steering the ship. So I decided I wanted to change that. I thought about my goals and what is most important
Important to me
- Homeschooling my kids to have an awesome and tailored education
- homestead and DIY lifestyle
- being healthy
- freedom to live life the way we want
- working to make me a better person
Not important to me
- Working hard to keep people happy who don’t matter
- being in all the right groups or social activities
- letting others set expectations for me
- negative people
- living by society, extended family, or social norm standards and not according to my dreams and goals
After evaluating where I was, where I wanted to be. It was easy. Set goals, prioritize and go to work on those things not everything else. And maybe others will not agree with your choice, but that’s ok, we all have to walk our own path.
3. Break things down
You know the old saying about eating and elephant, one bite at a time. It may not be true in every situation, however where you have a lot to accomplish or big goals this approach works wonders. Break things down into smaller takes or goals, it makes them easier to accept and accomplish. Break things down into smaller bite sized pieces and go to work. Simple, I know, but stick to it, and you will be so amazed at how much you can really accomplish.
4.Rest
Plan on it. Our bodies and minds need it. And even though I have often been guilty of thinking “I can push through” or the ol military mindset comes back and I think, “I can sleep when I’m dead”, the truth is that rest is essential to our best effort. A very hard lesson I learned back in my hypothyroidism days (thank goodness those are gone) read about that journey with To heal a thyroid part 1. Even though those days are in the past I did learn a lesson about pushing myself to much, not resting enough and stopping when I need to. Over stressed is not the way to live. So my advice take a note out of the bible and take a day of rest, rejuvenate, have fun and fill your cup again.
Rest when you are weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work. -Ralph Marston
Something to take away
This year I set out with a more clear-cut vision of a few things I wanted to do, and accomplish both for myself and my family. So I suppose in many ways this is something I am writing for me, and sharing my thoughts with you. Knowing all that I want to do. Realizing how exciting it is when you have big goals, and you start to see some awesome progress on those goals. That is where I am at. However I realize I can’t get there trying to do it all. Somethings I have to let go.
So yes getting real goals accomplished and moving life in the intended direction does have to be intentional. However it is not impossible. We often get to feeling like we are spinning our wheels (I have been the queen of that at different times). But when we realize we don’t have to do it all, we just need to focus in and do just those things, it is freeing and so much more fulfilling. Having life go in the right direction, and realizing we have the power to do all that we want when we just choose is a powerful feeling ā”ā”ā”
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From our family to yours, thanks for stopping by

Beth is a mother of 6 living on a handful of acres in an old farmhouse in central Kansas. Beth has a background in the military and health and fitness however her passions come from her homestead life. Beth is an enthusiastic homeschooling mom, avid organic gardener, chicken & goat wrangler, who is obsessed with herbs and natural remedies and maintaining an all-around Do-It-Yourself lifestyle. Beth loves to share all she has learned about and sustainable living. While striving for a healthy, natural life, family-centered life.