So many responsibilities I’ve had over the years left me drained and resentful. Life is too short for that!

Finding your sweet spot of purpose without busyness

It came as a question from a friend on my post about ending the hustle here.

“How do you find the balance between “hustle” and “bored?” I know we are in different life situations (no kids here yet, husband who can mostly take care of himself) but when I tried to cut stress out of my life by pulling back from most responsibilities, I found myself bored and kind of lifeless. What are your thoughts?”

That’s the trick…a life that feels vibrant, authentic and effective that doesn’t also run us into the ground!

The answer is simple but not easy and that is, to find your place of influence or service that is energizing, NOT draining, and that fuels the other areas of your life, too.

I volunteer for my local historical society by serving on the board of directors, running the museum front desk and sitting on the marketing committee. These positions are natural fits for me, but challenging enough to keep me motivated. The people are “my people” and have become my friends and cohorts. Plus when I run the front desk, it gives me a chance to get out, have some peace and quiet and also meet new people. If there’s downtime, I can read or write in my journal and that’s life-giving to this busy mama!

I also have a few volunteer editing gigs that I can do on my own time. Again, I love doing it but it works for my life and my schedule. I turn down A LOT of opportunities because they involve too much pressure, too many meetings, too much time away from home or simply don’t bring me joy.

Speaking of JOY, part 2 of my answer is to simplify the areas of your life that don’t bring you as much joy (or what sucks the life out of you). For me, that’s cooking and cleaning. I admit, I don’t enjoy either! So…I make simple meals and buy a lot of “convenience foods.” The kids are helping more and more with the household tasks and I’ve figured out how to manage what’s left (like keeping the boys’ dresser in my laundry room so all I have to do is wash, dry and put away within five feet) AND asking my mom to double her recipes so we can have what she’s having for dinner! I also spent all of 2015 decluttering our home and that made a world of difference!

For me, simplifying gives me more freedom to pursue the things that DO energize and delight me. I’d rather bake brownies from a box and have ten minutes to advise a cohort about her vendor table.

Speaking of that….

Always have something delightful to look forward to. Even when I’m super busy OR enjoying a slower pace like I am now, I’m always planning an event. If I don’t have a shower, birthday or holiday to look forward to, I get antsy. Maybe you need a project, something crafty to do, a home DIY…whatever will give you that excited feeling and keep your creative juices flowing.

I am passionate about helping women find their sweet spot of purpose without busyness! Let me know if I can assist you on your journey.