Do Less

I don’t know about you, but I’ll take any chance I can to take a breath and reevaluate my life. What is working and what isn’t? How do I want to use my most precious resource— time.

Am I feeling fulfilled (at least most of the time), and if not, how can I recalibrate to what is true and important for me?

I find this opportunity to take stock of my life as frequently as possible— in the new year, at the beginning of each month, at the beginning of each cycle, at the beginning of each week. Are our priorities as a family taking up the most space in our life or are we saying yes to things that either once felt good and are no longer nourishing or are we agreeing to obligations out of external pressure instead of our internal compass?

The process of weeding out the things I need to let go of is simple. I just imagine the life I want to have, and then I ask myself what I am doing that is moving me towards that life, and which things are moving me further away. It normally involves a list of things I’m putting my time into, with the most important things being at the top of the list. Whatever is on the bottom has got to go. This is the difficult part. Letting things go when I’m actually a whole woman with many vibrant interests is a challenge. It can be easy to get caught up in fear that I’m closing off opportunity, even when I know I’m clearing space for something new to show up.

That old adage, “when one door closes, another door opens” suits this experience beautifully. What doors are you looking to close this winter, and what are you making space for?

Jacquelyn Toupin is a birthkeeper & intuitive healer supporting women to evolve into their truest selves.

You can follow along on her Instagram @the.art.of.mothering