Raise your hand if you wish you could take an hour to view your life under a microscope and see what was working and what wasn’t.

Just to step away and have a “big picture” view could change so much!! Why do we find ourselves wanting to do this? Because this time of year especially I hear, “I am so busy!” ad nauseum!  I mean it comes out of my own mouth a million times a day….usually followed by, “I am soooo tired!” Who else is tired (literally!) of hearing those words? How is it almost busier than the holiday season??

Earlier this week, I was sitting at a school assembly for my children and my friend’s children, and I wasn’t there….mentally.  I was in my  head…thinking about a conference call that I was going to be having as I drove to an appointment before I ran two errands before I raced to a birthday luncheon before I grabbed three birthday gifts before carpool before two birthday parties……and all I could think about the entire day was the next ten things on my to do list….and how very, very  badly I just wanted a glass of wine, my pajamas, and a great Netflix series!!

Sound familiar? What is wrong with this picture?

Newsflash! Wait for it! ….this is going to be a real eye-opener!

there are no trophies for busiest mom of the year!

And quite frankly, I had a “come to Jesus” moment this week, and I am going to take my name out of the running.

Have you  heard of F.O.M.O.? I know many people have, but for those that haven’t, it is the FEAR OF MISSING OUT! It is a real thing. And as a mom, who doesn’t want to get involved with your kids?, with their parents?, with the sports?, with the organizations?!…. BUT at some point, it is more harmful than helpful….to your kids…to your marriage…to your general sanity.

It’s no one’s fault but my own. There are so many wonderful opportunities, and I am so very grateful for each and every one. I just shouldn’t sign up for so many!

And, like I mentioned earlier, I know I am not alone because I hear it from all of my friends! So, why do we do this to ourselves? It is great to be involved in your kids’ lives….it is wonderful, in fact! But when you find yourself at the school assembly wondering when things will wrap up instead of noticing the joy and fascination on your children’s faces, it is time to check yourself. I am. I promise to be better. Did you read our post about being more present? Check it out. We are honest about what a constant re-commitment that is because of all the distractions. It is a constant challenge….but a worthy one!

So how do we do better and overcome this? Well….pretty simply….but sometimes challenging if you suffer from F.O.M.O! Haha! You just choose to say no! Not every time. But you pick and choose the things that will impact your family the most and offer the most benefit. When you look back in twenty years, do you want your badge of honor to be all the committees where you served….or do you want it to be all the time you spent with your family and friends?

Just Say No. Signing up for things can become just as much of an addiction as substance abuse. Bold statement I know. But there is truth there. Addictions come in so many forms, and this may be one of mine. For me, I plan to finish out my commitments with gusto….and become a little more selective in the future. I will still sign up. I love involvement. But I will try to look down the road and assess the impact before I commit. What about you?

I missed a lot of the day the other day. That is so sad. The mom guilt is real. BUT I will be better. I will try to be better. We all deserve to be better than that.

If you have any thoughts on this or things that work best for you and your family, we would love to hear them. This MOM CHAT is to offer a support system for real issues we face as moms. In addition, if there is anything you would like to hear or see us talk about, please comment below! We love to hear from you!