There are lots of have-to’s in life. For instance, Ben goes to work every morning because we enjoy having a house to sleep in every night. And if I don’t do laundry, we will be the stinky family no one wants to hang out with.

Yes, there are lots of have-to’s. The good thing is when you’ve done them, there is an important benefit attached. Income; a sense of fulfillment; a clean and inviting home you can relax in; dinner. These things make up life and the work is worth it!

Now, let’s talk about those extracurricular activities we tend to take on because someone talks us into it or maybe we just decided to try something new! What if you realize it’s not for you? What about relationships that aren’t pleasurable or purposeful? If they aren’t adding to your life or taking your family in the direction you actually want to go, do we need to hang on just to spare feelings or say we didn’t give up?

You have my permission to quit.

That thing you said yes to that does nothing but stress you out. The friendship that drains you. The goal someone else set in front of you and said you should go after.

Let. It. Go.

In five years, will it matter if someone got mad because you chose a different way to invest your time and energy? People who care about you will want to see you shine in the space that God designed you to fill. It’s up to you to figure out what that looks like.

As Stephen Covey says, success isn’t success when our ladder is leaning up against the wrong building. Eliminating or reducing the “extra” in our schedule frees us to see a clear path to our family’s definition of “the good life”.

Some great resources I’ve come across in my own journey to focus in on what’s important are the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown, The Minimal Mom (find her on YouTube or Facebook), and the Bible (obvs). As long as I am seeking what God says matters, I can’t go wrong.

Life is short. Figure out what matters and let go of the fluff.

Angela