Hey mama, how about enjoying yourself for a change? Do you spend so much time getting your shit together that you forget to enjoy life? 

The Three Obstacles to Enjoyment

Obstacle #1: Completing the “Must-do’s” First

I fall into this trap all the time. There’s just so much to do. There’s money to make. There are hungry mouths to feed. So in order to feel like I have my shit together, I tell myself that I have to do those things before I can enjoy myself. The problem with this is that if you prioritize your “must-do’s,” you’re never going to get to the fun stuff.

It has been proven. In her book Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has The Time, Brigid Schulte writes about how time researchers have actually pinpointed this phenomenon.

Obstacle #2: Planning out Your Leisure Time

So the obvious solution would be to simply plan for fun, leisure time then, right? That’s what a lot of coaches and authors suggest. If you’re a planner, just pencil in some leisure time between yoga classes, grocery store runs and shuttling the kids around.

The problem with this is that it still doesn’t allow you to let go. It still doesn’t let enjoyment become second nature. And to really ditch the overwhelm and find balance, enjoying life should be part of the everyday. It should be like brushing your teeth.

Of course, you aren’t going to enjoy everything you do every second of the day. You don’t have to. But if you’re not finding time to let loose and enjoy a little something, you’re going to crash and burn.

{Lucky you: I’m launching a challenge in the new year that will help you find more time to enjoy yourself. Rejoice!}

Obstacle #3: Guilt

Then there’s the whole guilt about hanging out with my kids thing. I really don’t enjoy playing with my kids. When they hand me a LEGO minifigure and say, “Mom, you’re this guy,” I pretty much want to gouge my eyes out. So then the guilt comes in. And instead of just letting go and enjoying myself, I start planning what we can do together that’s fun. This usually involves Pinterest, art supplies, and more overwhelm. And it pretty much leads to no one enjoying themselves.

When I let go of the guilt, things seem to fall into place better. Sometimes letting go of the guilt means that I don’t hang out with my kids and I sit them in front of the TV while I go outside to hoop dance by myself. Sometimes letting go of the guilt means that I devote just 15-20 minutes to my kids first thing in the morning, doing whatever they want to do. I know that it makes everyone feel more fulfilled, and for the rest of the day, my schedule is more free to do what I want to do, and I don’t feel guilty about it.

How Can You Use This Challenge to Enjoy Yourself More?

Let’s think back to the previous days of the challenge.

• Day 2 – Stop planning: At least for the next 7 days, stop planning so much. Allow yourself to enjoy the extra time this affords you. And if you can, enjoy the spontaneity.
• Day 3 – Be aware: Start noticing what things in your life you do enjoy. Really open your observation skills for this and don’t let judgment or preconceived notions cloud your vision. You may notice that you enjoy more than you think.  It’s ok to revel in the tiniest things.
• Day 4 – Make decisions: Make a decision to enjoy yourself more. This is as simple as saying to yourself (or better yet, writing in your journal) “I decide to enjoy myself more today.” Say this when you wake up in the morning. See what happens.