Sometimes maintaining is good enough. In fact, if you think about it, maintaining is more than "good enough." For me, maintaining includes washing seven or eight loads of laundry per week and dishes daily. It means keeping the kids fed and the kitchen stocked (well enough), getting the bills paid, straightening the house, keeping the car running (even if I wait more than 5,000 miles between oil changes). On top of that, I work 40+ hours per week (plus the commute), swim or work out a few times a week, spend time with friends and family, read books, papers and magazines, take care of school/doc appointments, taxi kids around, etc. etc. etc. If it sounds exhausting, it is. Maintaining also means that I get some sleep :-)
I am learning not to be so hard on myself if I cannot get to the bigger projects right now -- like painting rooms in my house or even organizing my office. I am learning to accept compliments -- when I hear stuff like "That's amazing; I don't know how you do it all." I say "Thanks," and keep myself from pointing out that my carpets and closets have not been cleaned in years. I also am learning to accept help (thanks H. for cutting my 6' weeds and mowing my backyard) without feeling too guilty or too beholden... (well not quite, but I am working on it).
So "maintaining is more than good enough" has become my new mantra...
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