This week’s Sunday musings come from me, Linda, co-founder at Usual Objections. I work part-time on the business alongside another job and managing family life, so today’s theme is juggling - and the guilt that comes with it.

Some weeks, everything asks for you at the same time. Nobody tells you that juggling isn’t really about time management. It’s about deciding, quickly and sometimes badly, what matters most.

This week has been full on every front. Half-term started for our daughter, our son joins her next week, and I’ve been piecing together babysitters, holiday clubs and school runs around work. My mother in Holland has been unwell, so I’ve been worrying from a distance and leaning on my siblings who are closer to her. Our old dog (15 years old!) recovered from surgery, which means he’s back to his usual barking for extra meals and extremely slow walks. At Usual Objections, we’re launching new products, refining production, keeping on top of stock, and starting a collaboration that I can’t wait to share soon.

I personally thrive on being busy - there’s a saying, “want something done, give it to a busy person.” But lately I feel like I don’t always have the energy. When everything needs you, something slips, and that’s where the guilt creeps in: not enough support for the team, not enough time for the kids.

What to do? For me, it’s important to set aside time for me. I had to learn this from therapy, that actually it’s not possible to help others if you can’t look after yourself first. This means making sure I keep on top of my exercise and do at least one nice thing for myself each week. Earlier in the week I spent time watching youtube videos of the closing parties at Ibiza, seeing the pure joy on the dance floor inspired me to re-enact this in our living room floor with the kids. I also squeezed in a volunteering session at WeSwim - helping someone with chronic pain feel free in the water and supporting her swim a few laps was so rewarding.

Guilt is never going to go away. You have to accept you can’t do everything, there is only one you. But that’s hard. This is where prioritisation comes in. I love a good list, and just the process of writing it all down helps calm me down, so that I can then prioritise what is most important. What can’t wait, can I give a task to someone else, and what should I spend time on that is going to add the most value. Often it means saying no, or having to say sorry, not this time.

It’s also about making decisions. The mental load of carrying everything takes a toll. So the simple act of making a decision helps, because even if it’s the wrong one, you can learn from it and move on.

Below I’ve shared some of the books I’ve been reading to help me with this. But here’s your friendly reminder to be kind to yourself. When things feel overwhelming, slow down, work out what’s most important, then focus on just that.

If you’ve found something that works for you, I’d love to hear it.

Linda x