Do you ever feel like the you are the performer at the circus that is spinning all the plates on the poles at one time?

You know what I mean, the guy that keeps running back on forth and back, and forth to keep the plates from crashing to the ground. He can keep it impressively going and going, running back and forth, …for awhile. Then he either decides to stop and catches them all or they all fall. He can’t keep it going forever.

Do you ever feel like you have so many things you are supposed to balance? You might feel this way when you have lot of tasks to accomplish all at once – like when you have projects to be done for work, schoolwork to accomplish, a house to get clean, exercise to get done, menu planning and grocery shopping to do, kids to take here and there, and on and on and on and it all feels like it is starting to wobble. Just like when those plates start to wobble, you have decide where you focus your attention because you can’t, at the particular moment, give all your attention to just one or two things. That’s what I have felt like this whole week. I’ve felt spread a little extra thin. I feel like I am failing at things and not getting things done.  I know I am not the only that feels like this sometimes.

We can keep plugging away and giving our best for awhile. I agree that as a mom there is “always a lot going on”, but sometimes things get a littler trickier and little more intense.  Somethings are only temporary, of course, and that makes it easier to give an extra push and keep up the pace. In reality, as a busy mom or dad we have lots of things going on quite frequently and we may not be able to keep it up endlessly.

So, here is my solution: Get paper plates.

Huh? Yep, get paper plates to spin around and then when they fall they won’t break. Then when you’re ready for them, you can just pick them back up and start spinning again. Or…if your priorities change, you can just recycle them and move on.

“A little more clarification please.” I don’t think we can do it all. ALL. THE. TIME. I know I have mentioned it before. I know some people seem to manage time better than others, but we all reach our individual capacity and Dude, it’s okay. It doesn’t feel like it, I know; being overwhelmed is frazzling, but here’s the thing. Whatever plates we are using, the ones that do need the most attention – the ones that CANNOT FALL – won’t. We will naturally figure out which ones are top priority for now and pick up the others later.

Also feel free to take it literally. Absolutely, I think it is legit to grab some paper plates out of the cupboard and then you don’t have to worry about washing those dishes tonight.​  That will be one less plate you have to keep spinning at the moment.

Another option would be to just let the plates fall.  Grab one of them and place a nice large slice of chocolate cake on top and sit back and enjoy.  Reality?  Probably not without letting other people down, but maybe you can sneak in time for a small slice.

Check this guy out!