No matter who you are, your capacity is limited? And if you see life as a competition, you'll find that no one is the winner. Life is a series of give and takes--while you might be on top at one time, there will be other times when you're struggling. Then, there are all those times in between--the mainstay of life.
I remember when I was in my twenties traveling, socializing, and living with great freedom. A friend of mine had just started her family. She was clearly tied down to daily chores, financial constraints, and little capacity to travel or socialize. My stories frustrated her a bit, yet she was clearly happy with her family life. Later, when I had my family, her children were grown up--she was traveling, socializing, and adventuring while I was tied down with family commitments. The tables turned. Life has a way of doing that.
No one has unlimited capacity, and the various stages of life offer different kinds of capacity with regard to time, energy, financial resources, drive, and connections. The key is to enjoy and maximize the stage you're in--recognize where you are and what's possible at that stage.
Last year I was a fully committed teacher--that with parenting came first, and I contributed countless hours to both. This year with teaching behind me, I am far more committed to catching up on a zillion small jobs to shore up my home and family life--jobs that had been put on hold for many years. The tasks are not always enjoyable, but the results have made life better for me and my family so this work is well worth my time. This investment is the right investment at this time. Had I made a different choice and let this focus pile up even more, the mounting undone tasks and focus might have drowned us. We do have limitations on our time, energy, and capacity, and we have to acknowledge that as we make the big choices in life.
I know I'll look back at this time as a time of building for next steps and opportunities--the kinds of steps and opportunities that I can imagine, but do not fully understand yet. Time will bring more details, but in the meantime, I'll continue to set the stage for a warm welcoming home, positive loving relationships, and positive professional capacity for later contribution. Onward.