I know you have seen these people...
They are able to do everything; a million tasks in a day.
Get up early, go the gym, put in a full day at work, feed their family healthy, home-cooked food, read, have a hot bath, chat with a good friend, feed the homeless... and then get a great night’s sleep.
But no matter how hard you want to fit that mold, you just can’t seem to make it work.
I know that I have had it pretty good for the last six years. I was a stay at mom. My primary responsibilities were to take care of the kids, the house and cook (and I chose to throw in going to school and start a business at the same time… do not do that!)
I did not have to worry at the end of the day, how we were going to pay the bills. My job was to make sure the fridge was stocked, the table set, the kids happy and my partner’s job was to pay for it all at the end of the month (I know, so old fashioned… and such a sweet life while it lasted).
But things have changed.
The kids are growing up and off to school and I have taken on financial responsibilities for our family which means I have committed large chunks of my time outside of my home and myself, to run my business.
The ease of flow that we once had has changed into a somewhat rushed pace of trying to get everything done in only seven days… clean the house, cook, make healthy lunches, get the kids to activities, do homework, get to the gym, walk the dog and work as many hours a day as I can fit in…
And now I can relate to you when you say that you struggle to find the time to meal plan, shop and cook healthy meals and lunches every day when you have so many other things that need your attention.
I can now totally understand when you say that you really cannot seem to locate a thirty minute slot, three times a week, and can find childcare so that you can go do a workout.
And when you have reservations about altering your family’s diet to move towards eating By Design because you are anticipating a lot of tension, which you do not need right now since you have so many other things you would like to do with the little time you have together, rather than fight, I hear you.
So how much easier would all of this be if you were willing to sit down and figure out where you could employ some help?
You and I… we do not have to do this alone.
We do not have to accomplish every single one of these tasks on our own in order to be a super-person. We just have to make sure that the important things are getting done.
We all need to move.
We all need to eat healthy food.
It is a bonus if we can create a de-cluttered environment (for example, a clean house…which significantly reduces stress).
You know that person I just talked about? The one who does it all? I bet they are getting help too. And if they are not, get ready because they are probably going to be burning out soon.
I used to think that paying someone a couple of hundred dollars to clean my house was insane. “That’s a days’ pay!”
Now I think “what could I get accomplished for my business in the time that they are cleaning my house that would pay for them being here, move my business forward and free up more time for me to be with my family?”
I’ve grown comfortable with the idea that people don’t mind having happy little kids run around the lobby of our gym while I work out, if that is what I have to do to get the gym.
My neighbor pays another thirteen-year-old neighbor to walk her dog everyday after school. Everybody wins!
I have toyed with the idea of doing a kid swap. You take my kids for two hours today so I can get some things done and next week I’ll take your kids.
I say ‘toyed’ because like you, I do not actually want to give up the small amount of time I have with the kids. But if it means that they get to have a great play-date in the sunshine instead of being stuck in the car running errands, I am open to the idea.
So what about the food?
Are there affordable ways to get healthy meals on your family’s dinner table without you doing all of the shopping, cooking and cleaning so that you can avoid stopping to get take-out three times a week?
Of course there are.
My friend G. is part of a small group that meal-shares.
Basically, he cooks up a large batch of one meal and divides it into four portions. Then, the others in the group do the same with a different meal. They meet on Sundays and swap the meals so each of the four people end up with four different meals for the week! They have a private facebook group where they can communicate about who is cooking what and so on...
Wow, imagine having to only cook one meal a week!
There are also meal prep services and personal chef services popping up all over the place. In fact, I am running my own personal chef service here in Ottawa, Canada which will certainly benefit you if you are in the area.
Click HERE to learn more.
Think of the hours you would save. Think of coming home to healthy, comfort food that is cooked and ready, waiting in your fridge…
And really, the cost is comparable to having someone clean your house.
On the other hand, is there a job that you can pass off to your children every day to save some time? Can the children be in charge of the dishwasher everyday? If they are old enough, can you pass off some veggie chopping as an after-school requirement? Remember, you do not have to do this alone.
There is so much to do in a day. Sure, I think you are kind of superwoman if you can do it all yourself, but I would guess that there are areas of your life that you are neglecting to some degree as you struggle to do it all.
And sadly, for many of us, it is the kids who have to keep waiting for mom and dad to finish ‘everything else’ before they get time they are craving with you.
What I want to leave you with is the idea that you are only “getting everything done” if you are prioritizing what is really important in life -- healthy food, exercise and quality time for your family and for YOURSELF.
So where can you employ some help into your life so that you can make the to-do list a little shorter and the quality of what you are getting done, better?
I would love to know what creative ways you have come up with to get a little help to get sh*t done?
And while we’re at it, here is a little help.
For more simple By Design recipes why not pick up your copy of the Eat By Design Cookbook. I’ve created it in the form of a 28-day meal plan (plus grocery lists!) so you don’t need to think about what’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner for the next month. Or you can grab the first 7 days FREE by clicking here.