Nobody likes a quitter, except when they’ve quit smoking. Or drinking too much. Or picking their nose in public.
Just like those bad habits that need to go, we all have routines and practices that no longer serve us. When our habits cause more headaches than they solve, it’s time to quit. When the payoff is not worth the time or effort, it’s time to quit. When they cause us needless stress and anxiety, it’s time to quit.
For me, it was cloth diapers. We used them with our daughter, and I loved them. They’re more economical, way better for the environment, and so darn cute! I looked forward to really cashing in on the cost savings by reusing them when my son was born. Don’t ick out on me – people do it all the time 🙂
But I was so overwhelmed and exhausted after he was born that I just couldn’t do One. More. Thing. It was so much harder having an infant while homeschooling a Kindergartener. Not to mention that I was 5 years older and just don’t have as much steam as I used to. (I know – whah, whah, whah!)
I tried to use them. I really did. For a whole day. 🙂 But I was so overwhelmed and frustrated the entire time, that it just wasn’t worth it.
I’m not ready to get rid of them completely. But instead of being on the shelf in my son’s room, a constant reminder of my failure to be Superwoman, they’re going back in a box in the garage. I give myself permission to not do it all. And to not feel guilty about it.
Maybe I’ll have my act together a bit more later on and try it again. Maybe not. For now, it’s a routine that no longer works for me. So I’m calling it quits, and I’m not going to beat myself up over it any more. If a routine doesn’t serve my life, it doesn’t deserve to stay.
Now if only there was a way I could quit cleaning the litter box… 😉
What routines do you have that no longer serve you? What habit cause more headaches than they solve? Can you give yourself permission to quit?
