THE ART OF DOING TOO MUCH

If you received my newsletter last Friday, I mentioned resolutions and even provided a little exercise on how to focus your goals to get your home in shape in 2014.  But I also understand that making resolutions has become just one more thing to put on your to-do list.  So recently people have been forgoing resolutions in favor of a word to represent their yearly goals and intentions. Is anyone else out there starting to feel a little like a lobster in a stock pot?  It seems that everywhere I turn someone is there telling me how I can do it better.  It seems in our quest to live better lives we often just add more to our to-do list.  When I am on Pinterest (almost every night before I turn out the light) or read my favorite blogs (in the morning with tea) I am surrounded by people who seem to live gorgeous lives.

I fully understand this is all perception and appearance, but really, I can take better photos with my iPhone today than appeared in a magazine 15 years ago - and it seems that everyone is living more beautifully than before.  So we are living more beautifully and then we are putting it all out there to help others live more beautifully and I'm back to feeling like a lobster.

With all our technology today there is so much pressure for perfection.

It used to be that there was criticism on too-skinny models for not being realistic or attainable to the average woman.  But the perfection pressure is coming from more and more sources lately.

It seems everyone can take a magazine-worthy photograph now.  So no matter what you're subject is, it had better look good.

The subtle guilt you feel when your food doesn't look like this for every meal.

The worry that others will judge if you have a little dust in the corners of your home.  (I have seen "Clean More" on far too many resolution lists)

The anxiety that the curtains you spend three weeks DIYing look like you - gasp - did them yourself.

Suddenly everything in your life has to be perfect, because that is what is shown to us.  There are tutorials online for whatever you need to do - a chignon, a smokey eye, how to style the latest incarnation of Hammer pants, stenciling your wall, homemade gifts, handmade cards, play guitar, groom your dog like a lion,  yoga, and on and on and on.

So this year, I resolve to do less.  Join me if you'd like.  I am rebelling against the notion that you always have to be busy, that busy is awesome.  I am rebelling against "doing it all & having it all" because we know that's not actually a real thing.  It doesn't exist.  No more of the Art of Doing Too Much.

My table may not look like Martha Stewart set it.

I may not keep fresh flowers in the house every week.

My coffee table is covered in books and papers and maybe a little dog hair (because the cleaning lady comes every other week) and is not styled with cute trays and the latest Nate Berkus for Target object.

There are dog smudges on the french doors.

My meals will taste amazing, but may not look like it.

My blog posts may not have magazine-worthy photographs.

And I cannot style my hair up in anything other than a ponytail.

I hope you won't judge me for it.