Today's one liner: It is impossible to do everything, but it is possible to do everything you can.
Thoughts? What is your "everything" and are you doing it? Where do you draw the line between "everything" and "everything else?"
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My everything is work, writing, taking care of my family, reading blogs, helping with the school's PTO. I don't really have a line a draw, but I do recognize that it's a lot, almost too much for the day even going at 100% speed. I give myself permission not to write or blog everyday if there's just not time.
That darn line shifts and squirms and will NOT stay in one place. I don't know if I'm doing too much or not enough most days.
My everything is definitely my family--kids, hubby, parents, and friends--writing, studying the craft, reading, blogging, exercising, taking walks...Eh, is there a line?? JK. A few years back, I finally learned to draw that line. Too much of anything is overkill, clogging Thy brain and stunting full potential grow. Really. Balance is the key.
With four kids, I found myself joyfully involved in everything...everything. I was the team mom for umpteen hockey teams, on the board, reader at the elementary school...blah...I was driving myself nuts. I learned that balancing those 'duties' with leisure activities made me better with those duties. I also learned to squish some me time in, where I'd never done that before. That's how I started writing.
Enjoy your weekend, E.
This makes me think about Twitter. I like that so many enjoy it, but every time I try I hate it! It's just not for me!!! I don't know how to fit it in, either.
I had to make a resolution to stop working OT. Once I scheduled more time for leisure, I've accomplished so much this year!
I definitely draw the line. B/c if I get stressed, I'm not happy and then what I am doing is not done well or with a joy. :)
Eek, everything? Hmmm, well, my kids and sometimes my hubby *grin*. The rest is all the stuff I try to squeeze in here and there.
I have done everything I could possibly do to make my ms. publishable. As to everything else in my life, I take it as it comes. I'm not an over-achiever by any means. I love my child and she comes first but as for housework, not so much.
Yea for sanity's sake, I have to draw the line. Though how I define everything runs in peaks and valleys.
That's hard for me because I have two loves: writing and music and it's so hard to balance the two.
I have to giuve my permission to NOT get some things on the to-do list done!
Well, apparently everything else covers cleaning the house. ;)
I think this one-liner fits nicely with your 100% concept, Elana. It's about pushing yourself, going places you haven't been, and thinking outside the box. I am not sure if you can have the 'I am doing everything I can' perspective until it's in hindsight, BUT one should certainly be thinking, "Where else can I go?"
I like this quote. Because everything I can do is going to look different from everybody else's everything they can do. It's like life differentiating for my needs (you're a teacher, Elana...you know all about differntiating! It's the buzz word these days)
Great one liners this week!
Oh boy, housework is definitely in the everything else category.
Maybe that's my problem. I try to do it all and fail miserably:/
Reminds me of one of my favorite (yet most frustrating...) quotes: "You can do ANYTHING you want... you just can't do EVERYTHING."
Those with my personlity type (INFP) live in a world of possibilities (helps greatly with writing!) and that makes it tough for me to focus. So sometimes I need to step back and say "One thing at a time. I can't do it all right now."
That usually helps me.
I agree with this one. I have to choose what slides a little to make sure I do other stuff. And I have to make time for writing if it means something to me. That has to be a priority or I'm miserable.
What's up with laundry? It accumulates at a frightening speed so I can't ignore it for long.
My "everything" is family, friends and writing. Beyond that is "everything else" and FWIW, I barely think about it. :)
Triage.
~ Wendy
I tend to keep it simple. My everything is everything I want to do - the rest is everything else (and not quite so important)
Life is crazy at times and to think a person can do everything may not be realistic, but we (I) keep trying. Eating chocolate helps to assess what's important. Try chocolate with chili spice. Gives you a lift in your step and makes you think you can do the impossible. :0)
Writing's my everything, and everything else is chaff. But I never feel like I'm giving writing my all, because of those damned doubt-hounds that show up to nip at my fingers while I TRY to give it my all. Sigh. But I march on. Loving these one-line posts :D
"Everything" are those things absolutely required to keep me and the household going. For me, writing is an Everything. Time with family. An occasional outing. Laundry, food, cleanliness enough to keep the health department away.
"Everything Else" is just that. Things I'd like to do.
Needs and wants.
Oh, this is so perfect to keep me on track today! I've been having such a hard time focusing on the important things...
Great thought! I try to remember that. Do our best, and what more can we do?
I love the quote! I need to get those clothes folded. Then I would have done all I can do. =p
I've learned to let some things slide. If the laundry doesn't get folded today, it'll keep until tomorrow. But the family always comes first.
i dont know....im going to eat MMs :) Maybe they will give me some answers in life...
I try to do everything I can, but I have to realize that sometimes certain things are things I can't do or have no control over. So I'm learning the difference still. Have a great weekend!
I've decided my everything doesn't include cleaning the house nearly as often as it used to. :) Have a fantabulous weekend!
Hmmm. This is a difficult one for me, because I can only point to a few times in my life where I think I did my very best. It could just be the perfectionist in me, but I always think, I could have done this better, or worked on that longer, or not given in to fatigue or pain. So I think doing everything you can is actually difficult, not to mention ambiguous, because who's to say when it's time to quit? I know sometimes, say, with a manuscript, you know it's the best you're capable of at that time. But in cases where the job is too big to do in the allotted time, how do you determine when enough is enough?
As for doing "everything" (what you should do) vs. "everything else" (what you do to avoid doing what you should do, or what you do because you feel other people are depending on you, and you have to put them first) well, that can be a big problem for me.
This really speaks to me today, as I attempt to crawl out of the covers and get back to the business.
Everything is my family. If they are situated I'm good. After that writing for sure. I'm glad to be ready to focus on that again.
ooohhhh! I love this...! I'm posting it at work....now... how do I incorporate teamwork in getting "everything" done :)
Everything is what needs to be done, and everything else is what I want to do. I try to allocate time for everything else, but sometimes time gets excited and likes to secretly slip away without me noticing - I think time enjoyed pissing me off. Damn you, time!
This is really brill! You're like a writing Yoda (but less confusing). Thanks!!!
Everything for me is writing, keeping up with family and friends and boyfriend and all that, learning, reading, discovering the world. Just staying happy, that's my everything.
I'm A tryin' girlie. But now my everything else is waiting (off to vacuum)!
Yep, it's true. It's the trying part that makes the difference!
I really like that thought. It is often easy to say "there is not possible way to do all of this. I will not do it. I know I will fail." But we need to give ourselves the permission to just give it our all and let that be enough.
That is my life! I have so many things going on, all at the same time, and I just can't do everything... BUT I always do everything I can! I love it, Elana!
Everything is relative! Sometimes it feels like 'everything' take a lot of energy, and other times it's easy. Just take it one thing at a time. Make a list and cross stuff off. Also, as someone wisely said recently...give yourself permission [not to do everything]!!
I just got on Twitter and I'm wondering if that might've crossed the line. We'll see!
Love this! I draw the line between what I love and what I like, and what will and won't screw up the great things I already have in my life...if that makes any sense at all. :)
It all depends on my coffee and chocolate intake ;)
I always see everything as what I've done and everything else as possibilities. If I don't do them then that's okay. Every day is another chance to try again. :)
I think I'm doing pretty much my everything. If I'm not, there's just no more time or energy, so it's just not gonna happen! :)
This one liner fits with things I've been struggling with lately. I needed this to remind me not to continuously push myself to the brink of total exhaustion. Right now I'm trying to do way more than I can. So now I'm not quite sure whats "everything I can" but I'm going to work on it. Thanks for this.
Everything I can... I define that as living out my purpose in life. Being a Mom and a writer are my primary concerns. 'Everything else' are the things that fall away when I haven't time to do it all.
My everything is enjoying life, which includes all the people in my life that I love! And of course, writing! Thanks for the reminder, life is too short not to do what you love!
This week has been so hectic with the kids back at home full time for summer and swim lessons, baseball, daughter's bday party, writing group, writing, chores, etc etc. So this week I have done everything I can. But I will say no when I have to next week.
Have a great weekend, Elana!
I love this quote. Right now, I feel like I'm doing everything I can and that's a great feeling. But I don't always have it and that's when I feel lazy.
Jai
My everything keeps changing. Aak! This year, the vegetable garden goes. And I FEEL GUILTY. But other things need our attention, and it felt good to cut something.
WHAT?! I can't do everything?
Man, I wish someone would have told me that before I started attempting everything.
A great thought. I was going to write a longer response, but as you know I got puked on instead. But I do have thoughts on it. Another time I guess. ;)
Each day I make my "everything" list. Then I put on my protective gear and wait for the "everything elses" to slam my day. At the end of the day, if I got my list done and kept my sanity, I'm good.
Whoa! I'ma gonna have to think about that one for a while. Definitely needed to hear that today :)
I'm still learning not to have misplaced guilt for not being able to do everything. I'm doing everything that I can without making "everything" become a burden. :)
Eek, everything. You mean taking a meal to that friend who just moved, and inviting the old lady next door to dinner, and taking the kids to the park, and doing the laundry, and cleaning the house, and getting a nap, and organizing all the school papers into some sort of scrap book, and going out on a date with my husband, and writing, and making dinner, and having friends over, and...
Nope, I'm not too good at doing everything. But I do some of the good things sometimes and I try to be happy with that.
I do everything that doesn't hurt anyone else, but maybe only hurts me a little. And for the most part that means cutting something out. *sigh*
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