Something I have recently embraced is saying no and taking a step back.

I know what you’re thinking….You are just now figuring that out????

Yes.

I have always been a people pleasing, anxious, perfectionist. I don’t like the feeling of telling someone no. My heart races, I start to wonder if they will be mad at me and even if it is something I don’t want to do or don’t have the capacity for, I’ve always said yes. I hate admitting when I can’t do something. I don’t like to ask for help. If I need to step away from a project I feel like a failure.

I recent years, saying “no” has gotten a little easier. I’ve learned to put up boundaries and take a step back from being 100 percent available to everyone. I have taken inventory of the people I give my time and energy to and removed myself from situations and relationships that no longer fit in my life. I have come to the realization that hitting pause on something’s isn’t a failure. It is ok to step away from something that isn’t a priority.

My husband and children will always be my priority. Our life and family are the most important thing in my life. Do I love photography? Absolutely! Do I enjoy blogging? Totally! Is my photo group fun? For sure! Are they a priority? Sometimes.

This summer I hit pause on those things and it felt amazing. Does it take me a ton of time to make up a monthly photo challenge? Not really. Is it time consuming to write a short blog post once a week? Nah. Do I need to do photo shoots for other people to enjoy photography? Nope.

But those things took a back seat this summer. Our summer weekends are busy and filled with visits to the pool and spending time outside. Weekends are typically when I focus time those other things. A

t first, I felt like I was failing. I had made a goal to post on my blog once a week this year. Regardless if anyone reads this silly thing, it was a personal goal. I also started my photo challenge back up on Facebook. There are active members that post daily. August came and I completely forgot to make a list. Someone asked if it was still going to happen and I had to say no. Could I have thrown something up there I found in Pinterest? Sure, but I didn’t feel like it.

Guess what? It was fine. No one yelled at me and I didn’t think about it again after. It felt good to let go of something to focus on what was more important to me.

Instead of spending the time on weekends I would have spent on writing or coming up with photo ideas, I spent painting my nails. I napped on the couch. I had slow moving easy mornings.

That’s what I needed. Sometimes you need to say no and step back from things. Make yourself a priority. You’re worth it.