How do they do it all?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably asked yourself this question about your friend, that inspiring lady you follow on Instagram or the perfectly-put-together girl you see next to you at your barre class. I know it can be easy to make assumptions about people we follow, particularly on social media, but we’ve learned that every yes is attached to a no. In order to say yes to what matters in our lives, it means saying no to some surprising things. We’re sharing a few surprising things we say no to, and we hope it encourages you to prioritize what matters most to you, and say no (or not right now) to the rest!
I say no to painting my nails, washing my hair every day, and switching up my accessories. Wearing the same necklace, earrings, and rings every day means that’s one less decision I have to make in the mornings! -Emily
I say no to more than one hang out with a friend each week. This may be my introvert speaking, but limiting my free time available to hang out with friends means quite a few things to me: I have a small (but closer) group of friends who I am comfortable with all of the time, I have to do less manipulating to our meal-plans and dog-walking schedules with my boyfriend, I save money that would go toward food or drinks or gas, and I feel totally refreshed and ready to hang out with them and then tend to myself by limiting my time out. -Nicole
I say no to planning elaborate and meat-filled meals during the week. Not only is it time-consuming, it’s expensive to cook a variety of food for a single person. Instead, I have a pretty consistent rotation of small and inexpensive meals that I eat regularly, most of which are vegetarian. I use get-togethers or date nights in to flex my cooking skills and eat some meat. -Jess
I say no to traditional dinners and meal prep (for now). Our family is in a season where my husband is traveling often and most weeks I’m single parenting. I’ve grown weary trying to fit the grocery shopping, kid pickups at two different locations, making sit-down family dinners, bath and bedtime in the two and a half hour time window that I have between pick-up and bedtime (our kids’ school time starts super early, so they have 5:30am wake-up times). I’m leaning on services like Shipt to have groceries delivered. It adds a few dollars to our monthly budget, but it has been such a huge stress relief and time savings that it is worth it for me. I’m giving myself grace that this is just a season for our dinners (I love to cook and have family gathered ’round the table). -Amber
I have been saying no to using my car and choosing to walk instead! For example, it is a 15-minute walk to the grocery store, and I am able to carry two bags of groceries on the way back. Because I’m only buying for myself, I have found it easy to get some extra steps in, save a few dollars on gas, and still be able to manage to carry my groceries on the way home. It also keeps me from sneaking a pint of ice cream into the cart because it might melt on the way home! -Kaylee
I say no to social media on the weekends! I’ve been taking social-media-free weekends for over six years, and it has been one of the biggest blessings for my heart, my marriage, and now my family. On Friday, I delete the apps from my phone so I’m not tempted to choose them over connecting with the people I love. -Lara
Tell us below: What surprising thing do you say no to? We’d love to hear from you in the comments, and your words could be encouraging for someone else!
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