This Year I'm Saying YES to My Family

UPDATE: This post was written in August of 2018. I'll post an update on July 2, 2019. You won't believe what a great year it was! I'm so thankful that I said "YES" to my family!

Family has always been important to me, but this year, more than ever, I'm putting family first. 

My son, Matthew, is a senior in high school and you better believe, I want to treasure this time before he heads off to college.

So instead of teaching most afternoons, I'm leaving time to cook yummy meals and try new recipes.

Is it my shameless attempt to lure him home when he's off at school? Absolutely!

But seriously, my real goal is to simply be...AVAILABLE. If he's free and wants to hang out with me (be still my heart!) I want to be available.

The last thing I want is to look back with regret because I didn't cherish this time.

NOT AFRAID TO SAY NO

Of course, all of this hinges on my ability to say NO and truthfully, that's not easy for me. I'm a "yes" girl at heart. I want everyone to be happy.

But setting boundaries is important. I've written before about the necessity of learning to say NO and this "yes" girl is definitely getting better! Mostly because I'm getting a lot of practice!

The school year hasn't even started and I've said NO to:
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• 11 new students
• 3 speaking engagements
• 1 meeting (On Matthew's birthday!)

Yikes! Just looking at that list stresses me out! But you know what's crazy? Normally, I would have said "yes" to everything without even blinking. 

I would have reworked my schedule to make everyone happy and then I would have been completely overwhelmed. 

Not this year! My priorities are set.

These are the "yes" decisions I've made:

• YES to my family. (They get me first!)
• YES to my son. (The days are long, but the years are short.)
• YES to my current piano students. (Since I've limited my number, I know I'll have the energy to give them 100%.)
• YES to Upbeat projects. (I love helping piano teachers. This year I'll do a little less, only to ramp back up when I'm an empty nester!)

A SIDE BENEFIT

One of the best parts of this decision is that I feel a huge weight off my shoulders. Since I'm not overwhelmed with commitments this year, my focus will be better. And I'm excited about that!

• There will be time to prep for piano students.
• Time to cook my favorite meals. (Read more here.)
• Time for movie nights.
• Time for Upbeat work. 

​There will be TIME. Because I'm MAKING time - for the things that matter most.

I'd love to hear how you're making time for the important stuff!

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