How Do I Say No?

I am finally going to admit it: I think I have taken on more than I can chew.

These past couple of weeks I have been completely overwhelmed. Completely. Besides homeschooling and my Arbonne business, I've also:
~ been working to get WomenAid up and running with the other ladies of the board.
~ signed up for a CBE certification course and have started my reading and assignments
~ have started the application process to be accredited for another position that I am not supposed to announce until I am actually accredited.
~ have been really busy with my doula business

Not that I am complaining about any of these things. I love homeschooling and being a mom to my girls, I love being a part of WomenAid, love my Arbonne and Doula business, etc. But I think it is too much at once, I am stretching myself too thin.

I am not a good person when I am overhwhelmed. I snap at people, yell at people, and generally turn into a bad person.

Besides that, I haven't been able to set aside time to nurture myself lately and it's showing. I haven't knitted, or even just sat down with a nice cup or tea and a good book right before bed like I used to. I miss that.

However I find it so hard to prioritize and decide which activity needs to take a back seat. I'm thinking that if I come up with a schedule that divides my time between acitivities that would help. But I need to realize that it might take me a little longer to reach my goals, and that's okay. I'm not superwoman, I'm just the best woman I can be.

This is what I am thinking:

1. Homeschooling and my girls always take first priority, that one is a no brainer.

2. I will contine to work my Arbonne business, but only in the hours that I had set aside to work it (roughly two hours a day). One of the problems I have is that I will jump online to "just check my work email real quick" and lose myself for two hours without realizing it.

3. I will set aside two hours a week to work on WomenAid, and that does not count the group's weekly conference calls.

3. I will set aside three hours a week for my doula business, in which I will work on updating my website, creating a brochure, networking, etc. I will limit myself to one birth client and one postpartum client a month.

4. I will set aside one hour a day to work on my CBE certification course, or my other accredidation course, but not both on the same day.

5. I will keep my house clean.

This is just a rough draft, and I still feel overwhelmed just looking at it. But it is a nice first step, don't you think?

How Do I Say No?