Essentialism

As I was talking about painting the basement in an earlier post. I had a lot of time to listen to books and podcasts.   One of the books I listened to was Essentialism, my sister had talked to me about it and she really liked it.  So I put in on hold in Overdrive for like 2 months.  It seemed like forever.
   It is very similar to the more of less book but less about material stuff and more about our time.  Which as a mom I feel like my time is what is limited.  I only have 24 hours in  a day but yet I have to fit some sleep in somewhere.

One of the main things I learned from the whole book is that its ok to say NO sometimes  whether its so yourself or someone else.  Its not a bad thing, it might actually save you.  If you don't take that chance to say no then you will end up being stretched too thin and TRYING to do too much.  If you don't prioritize your life someone else will.  He says you will be doing all sorts of things that you don't want to be doing because you can't say no.  It might take practice to say no.   I think my thing is that I feel like I have to always be busy doing something, I like to be productful and see things get done.  But am I just being busy or am I actually accomplishing stuff.
My kids want me to play with them but I have to make dinner .... that is different than if they want to play with me and I'm trying to organize the closet for the 5th time that month.  That needs to be forgotten and cleaned out.  right?

This was one of my favorite quotes " Only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, can you make your highest contribution to things that really matter"  I love that.  Sometimes we have to give ourselves permission to say no.  He talked about how when we say no people may think we are mean or should say yes.   But they will come to respect us because we know what is important and we will do a good job at what we are committed to.    When we focus on one thing we do so much better at that thing.  What we focus on becomes what we succeed at.  I love this and when I heard this I thought that is so true and what do I want to succeed at right now?    Being the best mom I can be.  So that needs to be my focus nothing else.
He talked about priority and how just a few hundred or even couple decades ago what priority meant and what it means today.  How many priorities do you have today?  5....7..... Well priority used to mean 1..... what is priority?   what is that thing that needs to be the focus.   Then as we have moved forward and are able to do more and more things we have adjusted to more and more priorities.  I like going back to just one.  What is the one priority that I need to focus on today?  I can have other tasks but one priority that take precedence over everything else.
I haven't really had to say no to anyone else but me..... All of the things I want to do but its just not the time or season for it.  I need to make sure my priority is my family and raising good kids.

That is essential to me.