Remember when you wanted to fast-forward a cassette tape and it made that screechy-scratchy sound? This season of my life is flying by that fast–so quickly that sometimes all I hear is the noise. The sounds blend together and if I don’t hit the “stop” button every now and then, I end up missing the best part of the song.
I took a trip recently without my children that really gave me some breathing room and the space to think about what I want in my 30’s. This is the decade where my kids will hit crazy milestones, my career will take twists and turns, and my identity has an opportunity to be truly defined. Not to mention the years when I will likely consume the largest amounts of coffee and go to bed at 8:30pm. The result was a list of the things I don’t have time for right now–and the things that I’m not making time for but should.
What I don’t need:
- Messages about my kids that are a foil for Rodan+Fields, Plexus, Arbonne or any other sales pitch. Yes Facebook friends, I’m talking to you. If you have something to sell me, just get straight to the punchline.
- Snapchat. I’m not the target demographic for this app anyway, but I get my fix of photos through Instagram. The only time you’ll see me on Snapchat is when my kids are turning themselves into a deer with a high-pitched voice.
- Shopping in an actual store for clothes. I get anxious in crowds, most dressing rooms have bad lighting (cue an emotional meltdown over my post-baby body) and many times I freak out and put everything I had in my cart back on the rack.
- Clothes that require dry cleaning. I still use my dryer as an iron, á la my college days. Enough said.
- Coffee shops that don’t have a drive-thru. I buy local, shop local, drink local as often as I can. But if Starbucks has a way for me to stay in the car with my kids while I get much-needed caffeine, I’m going to have to bypass the mom and pop shop.
- Frequent hair washing. I should take up stock in dry shampoo; it has saved me on more than one occasion. OK, basically every day.
What I have to find time for:
- Reading the Bible with my babies. The first step is really me spending more time reading it on my own, but doing this with my kids is important to me.
- Exercise. Does every mom say this? Probably. I know I feel better when I make this a priority so… baby steps. I’m not going to be in the gym four days a week, but I can commit to one and go from there.
- A hobby. I want my kids to see that I have a passion worth pursuing. My interests are pretty varied, so I need to commit to this self-discovery.
- Date nights. This counts for my husband and for my girlfriends. I need dedicated time with both, and it doesn’t need to be an extravagant night out.
- Volunteering. We have a world that is in so much need. It’s important that I find a way to give back on a regular basis and set an example for my children.
As a mom and a wife, I don’t owe an explanation of how I spend my time to just myself; my kids and my husband deserve one as well. I want to put my best foot forward every day, and hit the stop button when a good song comes on.
