Admitting 'you can't'.

I was reading a thread in the Etsy forums this morning, about a young girl who was asking for advice on how to fit Etsy into her full time school and work schedule.  Being frustrated with not having enough 'Etsy time', she asked for advice on how to balance it all.

Having read similar stories about people trying to 'Etsy' with already overflowing schedules made me consider this phenomena a little more deeply.  Sure, some people are trying to make an income, whether supplemental or more.  But others, for some reason, are trying to fit Etsy into a tiny little slot in their schedule, as if it's a requirement and not something extra.

Granted, many people balance work, kids, home and Etsy, or any other combination of circumstances.  But the reality is, that there are only so many hours in a day, days in a week, and so on.  There comes a time when you have to admit that you just can't fit anything else in without sacrificing something else.

Maybe it's an age thing, or a generational thing, but young adults today seem to want to do it all now.  When my kids were younger I worked part time, kept house and was a volunteer fireman.  I did do crafting when I had time, but I couldn't imagine trying to fit in a serious committment to selling those crafts during that period, no matter how much I might have wanted to, or how much it might have supplemented our income.  Something would have suffered.

So here I am, 20 years later, still crafting, and having successfully sold those crafts for many of those years.  Now I have the time to devote to making this a full time business if I so desired, without sacrificing something else.

Don't be afraid to admit that you can't do it all.  Nobody can, no matter how it may appear to you, I know these things, I'm old and wise.  Well, ok, I"m old.  Wise, not so much, but my years of living have taught me a few things.  It's ok to say no, and it's ok to admit that you can't do it all.  It took me a long time to learn that.  You are much better off the earlier in life you learn and accept this fact.

If you really want to do something, fit something in, then you find a way to balance all the things in your life.  Only you know where you can cut back, or find the time.  The reality is, if it's bringing you stress, then consider the possibility that now is just not the right time for it.  Life is stressful enough without inventing things to add even more stress to it.

While crafting and selling those crafts can be a pleasant outlet, in most cases it's not a requirement or something that must be done right now, so it's ok to wait until you have the time make the committment, even if it requires a bit of a balancing act.