No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.

— Brene Brown

For years, I have struggled with getting everything done that needs to get done.  Several years ago, I worked with a woman who had four children.  She never could get caught up and felt guilty all the time.  There just wasn’t enough time to take the kids to school, work, pick them up and take them to softball or football or cheerleading practice, then fix dinner, clean up, help with homework, put them to bed and then fall into bed herself.  She wasn’t a single mom, but these were all her responsibility.

Her husband kept complaining because he felt that she didn’t really take building her business seriously.  Really?!!!  Exactly when was she going to get around to it?  My friend kept saying that God gave her enough time to do what needed to get done so if it didn’t get done, it was because God hadn’t given her the time to do it.  This would give her a sense of peace for half a second and then it was back to the grind. Quite honestly, I never had that much peace around being unable to get everything done and I was willing to put out a contract on her husband, but he was her husband, not mine to judge. (Yeah, right!)  Actually, I just never got around to it!

Too Much To Do and Too Much Guilt

The quote that I placed at the beginning of this post really spoke to me because, like all women, I have way too much to do and not enough time to do it.  And, I feel very guilty about whatever I don’t get done.

It truly is a no-win situation.  I go into each day KNOWING that no matter how much I do, it won’t be enough.  I run and run, keeping track of how I’m spending my precious time, and finding that STILL, it’s not enough.  And yet, Brene Brown says that I am enough.  How I wish that were so.

When I get home each evening, dinner is ready for me to decide that I’m ready to eat.  (My roommate works from home, so he gets to cook.  He’s actually getting quite good at it.  He had a good teacher.  ME!)  After dinner, I take the dog for a walk, not because the dog needs the exercise, but because I do.  When I get home, it’s time to put in a couple of hours on the blog.  Then I shower and go to bed.  Nothing exciting.  Just the daily grind.

Yet, even with a personal chef who cleans up after dinner.  I still don’t get enough done.  Many nights when I go to bed, I’m too tired to really care about what didn’t get done.  But, most days, I wake up before the alarm.  I rush to get ready for work and then I apologize to God on the way into work for not having accomplished enough the day before.

I Am Enough – Really I Am!

We women are a hyper-responsible lot.  We work hard and we judge ourselves harshly.  We ask ourselves the question, “If I don’t do it, who will?”  And we keep going until we can’t anymore.

Maybe the answer is – if there isn’t time to do it, it shouldn’t get done.  I honestly don’t know the right answer.  I know one thing, though.  I’d like to be able to say, “I am enough.  I have done enough.” And mean it.