How do you decide when you're doing enough?

[PeterPan]

Title says it all. I've sorta lost my mojo, and I have this sense of descending into a pit or not challenging myself to retain vision. All that takes energy. So one I need my mojo back, but two how do you keep the vision and go ok, I'm doing enough, we're on track and where we could be... I need a pep talk or something.

[4KookieKids]

 Well, I’m not very good at deciding when I am doing enough. What I have gotten better at is realizing when I am doing too much… So then we back off… But everyone suffers in the process, so I really wish I was better at understanding when I am doing enough before I overwhelm both my kids and myself! ?

I'm afraid I can’t offer much advice on getting mojo back, except that I feel more motivated when I actually have opportunity to spend time just enjoying my kids. Today we told the kids they could do anything they wanted (1hr each) So long as it didn’t involve spending money or being on a screen. It was a blast. One kid wanted to play hide and seek and tag and go wading  in the stream nearby, another kid wanted to make homemade Playdo, so we got out the glitter and food dye and essential oils and made very nice smelling sparkly Playdo before spending the rest of her time in the driveway All drawing with sidewalk chalk together. My other two kids both chose swimming, so we are lumping them together in the afternoon and are heading out in a few. It breathes new life into me. ?

[Pen]

If you have a uti as from other thread on chat that may have sapped your mojo. 

I think I never feel like I am doing enough.  

But I can use logic to consider the hours in a day and need for balance in life. That way I can determine that I am doing as much as I can. Or in regard to remediation of LDs when working on that, as much as Ds could handle. 

I think a little time daily for gratitude thoughts can help. And taking a little time for me, when I am not trying to do as much as I can, ends up helping to replenish. 

Sometimes a graph of improvement has helped—something like graphing reading speed and level. Or maybe something like a bullet journal which I have not personally done, but where accomplishments might show as colored in spots. 

I am currently finding my gamified productivity apps surprisingly motivating. 

And sometimes meditation and prayer too. 

[PeterPan]

7 hours ago, 4KookieKids said:

What I have gotten better at is realizing when I am doing too much…

Ok, THAT seems like a better way, lol. And yes, I basically did too much this past year. It sorta has to be my motto this year to pull back and just do enough, chill, have a good life... 

[PeterPan]

5 hours ago, Pen said:

Or in regard to remediation of LDs when working on that, as much as Ds could handle. 

I think that's the thing I'm not sure I'm always pushing, is how much he can handle. I know that sounds weird, but so many things we do (therapies, etc.) are just nice and cowtow and say oh the poor boy with the disabilities. Like I gave him this Spelfabet and thought oh my, that's writing, he can't do that. And it WAS awful when he started! But now he's chilled out and he's actually filling out the whole page, writing all the words, and it's visibly getting easier. So then I'm like ok, I was under-compelling him which leads to him not doing as much as he COULD DO.

Love the rest of the ideas too btw.

Edited August 26, 2018 by PeterPan

[Pegs]

Too much: performance anxiety.

Not enough: anxiety which manifests as boredom.

Just right: he works hard during lessons, looks forward to his free time, and then enjoys it.