The past two weekends consisted of non-stop activity, interspersed with stress and fun. As I raced towards this past weekend, I looked forward to a day of peace and recharge.  But then I saw the laundry. And kids with homework questions. And the house in need of a little TLC. I work up Saturday after 4 hours of sleep (after an amazing birthday dinner for a friend) to a fussy baby that decides to have an allergic reaction and not keep anything down - for two days. I'm already behind, and now I am buried.

When I get in these situations where I need insight, instead of picking up the phone, I read #nerdalert.  I came across an article on organization skills and I roll my eyes, thinking that my situation is beyond a to-do list.  But I scroll through the article and see the following:

"Kill some items on your to-do list and they respawn like enemies in “Call of Duty.” Get better at managing email and you get more email. It’s Sisyphus’s inbox." – Eric Baker

(I thought to myself, “OMG - this is my life - it doesn't end! Tell me more, tell me more!”)

"The problem isn’t life; it’s our unreasonable ideas about productivity. We’re in denial about what we can realistically achieve, and in our efforts to avoid the constraints of reality we drive ourselves crazy today, tell ourselves tomorrow will be different – and then repeat. We seem to believe through some primal-mysterious Blakean alchemy we can add three more hours to the day. It’s the Theranos of productivity systems………" Eric Baker

(Ok, now I am fully invested in every word of this article - I am in denial; yes, that is me!)

"Most productivity advice tells you the impossible is possible. Errr, no. As Oliver says, the real value of any time management technique is if it helps you neglect the right things at the right time." This is the “paradox of limitation.” The more you try to control time, the more stressed you feel. Accept limitations, realize you will not have time for it all, and focus on what matters. Only then can you feel relaxed." – Eric Baker

(Neglect - I pause - what have I neglected? Nothing. On the weekends I fit in cleaning, cooking, mothering, being a wife, grocery shopping, and time for fun. No balls dropped. But is anything really up in the air or is it an illusion?)

One of the themes of the article is being at peace with neglecting or failing at certain areas of your life. It's a hard concept for an overachiever like me to swallow, but the more I let it percolate, the more I knew that it is exactly what I need.

For example, in my quest to be a perfect mom, I have my teens help me with the house. They are old enough to do this, and I shouldn't have to pay anyone. But every weekend, I spend every free moment – literally – cleaning the house.  And the house STILL looks a hot mess!! Maybe it’s acceptable to fail at keeping the house in perfect shape.  Maybe it's ok to fail at getting my teens to clean. And being content with that perspective allows me the freedom to not spend all of my time cleaning or lecturing my teens to do so.  It also allows me to bring someone else in to help clean consistently without feeling like I can't juggle everything.  Ultimately, it allows me to feel more settled and available to those I love.

If this concept resonates with you, check out the full article in the Life section of the newsletter!

Good Quote

There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.
John Lennon

Life

"Your choices and how you spend your time are what comes to define you. Who do you want to be? If your actions don’t reflect what is important to you, you’re looking for a gas leak with a lighted match. Every day becomes yesterday before we know it. But if we choose wisely, we will not be diminished by the brevity of our lives." - Eric Barker

I know, I wrote half the article in this newsletter - but it really is worth a read! Check it out below (yes, he slips in a plug for his book, but the content is so good that I didn't mind at all!).

4 Things The Most Organized People Do Every Day - Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Time management systems have failed us. What’s the secret to being organized and getting more done? Here’s what really works...

Barking Up The Wrong TreeEric Barker

Corporate Ecology

"Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership." Colin Powell

Colin Powell was an amazing leader who passed away this week. See the article below and take some nuggets of wisdom with you as corporate moms.

Colin Powell: ‘Get mad, and then get over it,’ and 12 other rules he lived and worked by

The late Colin Powell credited his massive success to “13 rules” that he outlined in his 2012 memoir, “It Worked For Me: In Life and Leadership.”

CNBCJade Scipioni

On Family

Good self-care article on making yourself a priority and understanding the healthy impacts of giving your child independent time.

Moms of Young Kids Desperately Need Time to Themselves. Here’s How to Actually Make It Happen

To make more time for yourself, it requires boundaries, and raising independent kiddos.

Working MotherAlanna Gallo

Disconnect

"Under 18s are now forbidden from online games from Monday to Thursday, and can spend just one hour on each of Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays playing."

Interesting article on China's new gaming limit as an approach to mitigate kids’ extended video game use. Parents were citing mental and physical health declines due to extensive game use. It will be interesting to see if this approach works and if it truly allows kids to disconnect.

China steps up its war on underage video gaming and not everyone is happy

Children in China are waking up to the first weekend of drastic new rules limiting the amount of time allowed for online gaming, but some are questioning the need for such restrictions.

ABC News

Can I leave you with pure joy?

Need a feel-good moment? Top football recruit shocks everyone by deciding to select Mizzou for college – watch the students’ reaction below.