Hello, mama! I’m so happy you could take a minute this busy season to come check out “Laying Down the Pressure to Be and Do it All.” My hope is that we can let go of the expectations to do and be all the things, and instead lean into to our true strengths and passions this season. Above all, I hope we simply enjoy.

Laying Down the Pressure to Be and Do it All

It’s that time of year where we start to make our lists. Lists of all the things: things to do, to buy, to cook, to decorate, to experience. All. The. Things. We take to Pinterest for inspiration and ideas. We prep and plan. We pencil in.

But have you ever lost yourself in the hustle and bustle? Accidentally found yourself trying to do all the things someone else’s way? Somehow taken on a societal or self imposed pressure to be all the things you’re not? It can happen in any season, but like most things this time of year, it becomes amplified.

We are living in this amazing time where we have so much information right at our fingertips. Want to know how to make a jaw dropping charcuterie board? Dried orange garland? Salt dough ornaments with your child’s footprint? Need an advent activity (or 25)? A meaningful homemade teacher gift complete with cute printables and mason jars? Take to Pinterest! Head to Google! We are covered. Within minutes we have all the resources at our fingertips to make these things happen. Tutorials, printables, shopable links, recipes.

Click, click, click.

And I love them all. I’m a blogger for goodness sake. Not to mention a mom of four who counts on that printable for the kids’ Christmas party, or the new recipe for the next gathering. These things are not inherently negative, but it can go there if we let it. We can see ALL the things and begin to think we need to do all the things. And be all the things to all the people.

And so, it’s not the resources. It’s the losing ourselves in the resources. It’s forcing activity because we think we should. Cooking gourmet when we’re more potluck. It’s trying to be homemade when deep down we’re more of store bought kinda girl. It’s doing for the sake of doing rather than enjoying. It’s taking on the expectation that we should be experts at everything: skilled seamstresses, culinary artists, master decorators, skilled entertainers….

And on and on it goes.

Until one day, we no longer see ourselves and our shining strengths (Because you’ve got them, mama. Loads of them), but rather all the things we are not. We take that one person’s skill and talent to entertain, or cook, or create, and we measure it against our own. But here is the thing, you’ve got your own expertise. Your own talents. Maybe that thing you do so well? That person does not. Maybe you can’t make Pinterest worthy desserts for the bake sale, but you can organize it. Or maybe creating things isn’t your strong suit, but you have the gift of hospitality or giving.

Maybe…

Maybe just maybe, we can see all the things and not take on the expectation to be all the things. We can remind ourselves that we are not less because we do less. We are not required to do or excel at it all. We can stay in our lane and stick to our strengths and capabilities. We can appreciate other’s skills without diminishing our own. We can enjoy more and impose expectations on ourselves less.

Do ever find yourself feeling like you need to do it all and perfectly? Moreover, what expectations can you lay down this season to give yourself grace?

Love this post Laying Down the Pressure to Be and Do it All? Check out:

Releasing Expectation: Finding Magic in the Small

A Note on Comparison In The Era of Social Media

Perspective Without the Weight of Perfection in Motherhood

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