It’s impossible to do it all in life, especially when you’re a mom of littles.  That’s why you must learn to let go of what no longer serves you. In this post, learn 5 ways to determine what no longer has a place in your life as a mama so you can make space for what you need in your current season of life.

Do you ever find yourself wondering how you’re supposed to do it all?  

How are you supposed to be a good mom and wife, excel at your job, keep the house tidy, make sure the fridge is stocked with healthy food, and stay on top of the endless loads of dishes and laundry?  Not to mention exercise regularly, make time to see your friends, and somehow also have hobbies and pursue your passions?

You used to find time for all that, but now that you’re a mom, how do you actually DO LIFE?  This might not be what you want to hear, but actually –

Mama, you can’t do it all.  That’s why now, it’s more important than ever, that you learn how to let go of what no longer serves you.

You may be ignoring the fact that there are certain aspects of your life you’ve outgrown and need to move on from.  Or maybe you’re just so overwhelmed with all there is to do on a daily basis that you’re not even aware of what it is you need to let go.

In either case, your life has changed and now it’s time to shift around your priorities in order to make space for what you need.

Related:  “The Real Truth Why Being a Mom is Hard”

What does it mean to ‘let go of what no longer serves you’?

To ‘let go of what no longer serves you’ refers to letting go of any aspect of your life that is not useful to you anymore.  This could be a career path, relationship, project, living situation, hobby, belief, behavior, or habit.  

It is something that is not adding value to your life any longer and is draining your time and energy, taking you away from what’s most important to you.  

Basically, we’re talking about a part of your life that you’ve outgrown, which doesn’t serve the same purpose to you as it used to.

But, before you walk away from something, how do you really determine what it is that no longer has a place in your life as a mama?

Related:  “Spring Awakening:  How to Begin a New Chapter in Life”

6 Ways to Recognize What No Longer Serves You:

1.)  You just “know”

Oftentimes, you just have a feeling that something is off or it’s not right for you anymore.  Some people call it a “gut reaction”, “knowing”, or a “feeling in the pit of your stomach”, but it’s all the same thing – your intuition.

When something is off, you can feel it.  You “just know”.  That’s why it’s important to slow down and regularly check in with yourself.  Be mindful of any uneasiness or unsettled feelings and try reflecting on what it is your gut is trying to tell you.  

2.)  It no longer feels meaningful

When you think about certain facets of your life and they no longer speak to your soul or feel meaningful to you, it’s time to let them go.  

Perhaps before you had kids you were an avid runner, training every day, and loving the rush you’d get from running a marathon.  But now, when you think about the prospect of training for and running even a 5K, it doesn’t excite you the way it used to.  Rather, it feels like a drain on your time and energy.

That’s a signal that it may be time to let go of your marathon running days or at least hit the pause button until it ignites the same passion in you that it once did.

3.)  You dread it

Having a sense of dread regarding something is certainly a sign that it’s time to let go of it.  The same could be said for constantly procrastinating doing a certain activity or repeatedly looking for excuses not to spend time with a certain someone.

If you’re dreading something or someone and wishing you could do anything or be anywhere else, then it’s a pretty good indication that this element of your life no longer serves you and it’s time to close this chapter and move on to the next.

4.)  It makes you feel bad about yourself

There might be a person in your life or a certain behavior or habit you have that is making you feel bad about yourself.  That is a red flag that it’s time to reassess that relationship or remove that behavior.

If spending time with someone drains your energy or leaves you feeling less than, it’s a good sign that the relationship is no longer serving you (or maybe it never did).  That doesn’t mean you have to completely cut that person out of your life, as it’s important to deal compassionately with others, but it’s definitely worthwhile to examine and reevaluate your boundaries.

The same can be said for a behavior or habit.  Perhaps having a glass or two of wine every night used to relax you, but now it just leaves you feeling disoriented and foggy the next day.  If that’s the case, it’s probably time to let go of that routine.  

Old habits actually can be broken if you set your mind to it and make it your goal.

5.)  You’re not “in it”

Do you find you’re always distracted when engaging in a particular hobby?  Your mind is constantly wandering to other things and you can’t focus on something you once enjoyed so much?

Or maybe you find yourself half-listening and haphazardly nodding along while a girlfriend pours out her heart to you over dinner.  You’re there, but not really, and sorta wishing you weren’t.  In fact, you’re thinking you really should’ve canceled these dinner plans when you had the chance because this is exactly how you felt the last few times you met up!

When you truly want to be doing something or you’re engrossed in conversation with a person, you should not feel like you want to be somewhere else or that your mind is constantly wandering.  

If this has become the norm, then it’s an indication that you’re just not “in it” and this particular activity or friendship may not be serving you any longer.

6.)  Your vision of your future doesn’t include it

When you visualize your future, do you see yourself in an alternate career, or with a new partner?  Perhaps living in a completely different city or country from where you live now?

If your dreams for your future do not include certain aspects of your current life, whether that be people, places, or things, then that’s a tell-tale sign that these elements may not resonate with who you are now or want to be in the future. 

It’s also evidence that it’s time to make some changes.

Mama, are you ready to let go of what no longer serves you?

I hope this post has given you some reassurance that if you’re feeling like you can’t do it all, that’s 100% normal and you’re not alone!

Once you become a mother, your life completely changes so you have to “reconfigure” it.  Part of that process is defining what has a place in your new life and what does not.  

Because seriously mama, you can’t do it all!

Did you like this post?  You might enjoy these as well:

The Real Truth Why Being a Mom is Hard

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Spring Awakening:  How to Begin a New Chapter in Life