On Trying to Do it All

Written By: Katrina Sweet

“You can’t do it all” is something I tell myself, and then promptly try to figure out how I’m going to do it all. I am simultaneously the laziest person, so this further complicates things. I work full-time, am in grad school, and try to find time to write, clean, exercise, and spend time with my boyfriend and family and friends; it can feel like a lot. And then with everything that is going on in the world, I often feel like I need to be doing more reading and researching, and essentially solve the world’s problems. On top of all of this, we’re looking for houses and my best friend is getting married in a week.

A quote I think about a lot is: “Work, Sleep, Family, Fitness, or Friends: Pick 3.” I think a lot of us feel like this most of the time; it almost seems inevitable that at least one of the things will always get left out. To make matters worse, I too often compare myself with what others have been able to accomplish. I suddenly feel like I need to travel the world right now and relearn piano and learn a language and turn my eternally scrawny arms into biceps of steel and master every yoga position and learn to dance and bake and watch all the shows and see every band live.

I try to remember that feeling like there is not enough time in the day is in many ways a blessing. There have been other times in my life where not much interested me, I was bored and the days dragged by. It was only recently that I finally realized how valuable it is to identify the things you like and to make a conscious effort to do them. This seems obvious in hindsight, but in the past sometimes it’s just seemed easier for me to wander around without any clear goals. I think it’s important to find a balance between the two extremes; make a list, figure out what you want, but also realize how much you can realistically accomplish and let the rest go, at least for now.

So, if you also constantly feel like you’re not doing enough, it’s important to remember – you can’t do it all and that’s okay. You don’t need to. You are enough. You can’t possibly read all the books and learn all the things and perfect all your writing and create all the art and solve all the problems in the world and in your life. Prioritize the things that are necessary and the things you love and the things that matter. And do the things that you can. But take a break sometimes. Say no to things. Open the blinds and enjoy your morning coffee before worrying about all the things you need to do today. Breathe and forget about the lists, at least for a little while. Spend quality time with the people you love and laugh as much as you can.

You can view more of Katrina’s writing here.