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It has been one of those days. And at midnight, it is still not over.
I am exhausted, overwhelmed and discouraged. I try to catch up with my inbox, my workload, my parenting duties, but as soon as I am finished one task, three more fill its place.
I look up from my chaos and wonder how they are doing it? Why can’t I get as much done in a day as she does? Why can’t I write as fast, stay as focused, be as successful?
What am I doing wrong?
Jealousy swirls around me, threatening to take over. I want the job she just landed, I want the traffic she gets, I want the income she makes.
Susan phones and I unload my stress on her, “I just can’t get everything done!!! I feel like such a failure — why can they get so much more done in a day then I can?!?”
After I dump out paragraphs of frustrations and fears, Sue starts to talk, to bring me back to reality.
And as she talks, I begin to write this post in my head — because I want to let you know that we all feel overwhelmed and hopeless at times.
This parenting gig is hard enough, but then we add in being entrepreneurs, bloggers, writers, business women. Some days it can be too much. Some days it feels like everyone else is handling the stress better than we are.
But the truth is it is hard for every one of us.
And considering that most of us are over-achievers and perfectionists, driven to succeed, not just for the sake of success but because it is our instinct, we are in a constant state of pushing ourselves.
Written by Janice Croze, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom.
Wanna chat? Find me at: @5minutesformom, @janicecroze and Facebook.com/5minutesformom.
kristin says
Thank you.
Working Mommy says
Sometimes those who look like they have it all together – like everything is perfect – wonderful family and excellent marriage…those are the fronts that are hiding secrets like drugs, alcoholism and a host of other things. It might be difficult for you, but it is always worse for someone else.
wm
Martine De Luna | Work-at-Home Mom Writer says
I needed this post. Sigh. Even as I write this, I’m working, working, working!
Don’t get me wrong; I love the way my life is now. I mean, it’s much better than it was a year ago, when I was down and unhappy with my work and my family situation. But, thank God, I got out of that, began working from home, and moved to a new town and new home. It’s not yet perfect, but I’m happy as I can be–for now.
Still, I’d love to be able to work less and just “be” more. I’d like to be able to write a children’s book inspired by my son. I’d like my husband and I to finally pursue that dream of opening up a creative arts cafe for families. I’m waiting for a number of breakthroughs to happen, but for now, I’ll be grateful that we finally managed to pay off our debts, get our own car, and that we have flexible work hours so we can spend time with our son whenever we’d like.
I try not to get jealous, but I do fail many times. When those moments of envy try to steal me away from the good in my life, I have to remind myself to be grateful. I have to remind myself to be happy where I am while still keeping my eye on my dreams, never losing sight of them but never letting the frustration of unmet expectations weigh me down.