Take the Easy Way Out: Unpopular Opinions #286
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There are no trophies for making your life the most difficult. So why are we making things so hard for ourselves?
My unpopular opinion today: take the easy way out.
As a recovering people pleaser and perfectionist, I’m practicing sharing my opinions more boldly. And today’s opinion is this one: you’re already doing 700 things. Please make some of them easier.
In this short episode, I’m sharing why my purse stays by the door and why my kids buy school lunch. We’ll also talk about how I let my older kids take responsibility when they want to pack their own lunch, instead of adding another thing to my morning.
When something feels difficult, ask yourself: “What’s the easiest way I could do this?” It’s not lazy. It’s efficient. It’s working with your brain.
I’m also sharing an update on my book, Motherhood and ADHD, coming out in February. If we reach 500 preordered copies by October 13, I’ll draw one winner on October 14 for a spot at my Houston retreat the following weekend. Lodging, food, and activities are included; all you have to do is get here. Submit your receipt at patriciasung.com/book, with one entry per copy pre-ordered.
Come listen, mama. You’re allowed to choose an easier way.
Patricia Sung [00:00:02]:
Are you overwhelmed by motherhood and barely keeping your head above water? Are you confused and frustrated by how all the other moms make it look so easy? You can't figure out how to manage the chaos in your mind, your home, or your family.
Patricia Sung [00:00:17]:
I get you, Mama.
Patricia Sung [00:00:18]:
Parenting with ADHD is hard. Here is your permission slip to let go of the Pinterest-worthy visions of organization and structure fit For everyone else. Let's do life like our brains do life: creatively, lovingly, and with all our might. When we embrace who we are and how our brains work, we can figure out how to live our lives successfully and, in turn, lead our families well.
Patricia Sung [00:00:45]:
At the end of the day, we just want to be good moms.
Patricia Sung [00:00:47]:
But spoiler alert, you are already a great mom. ADHD does not mean you're doomed to be a hot mess mama. You can rewrite your story from shame spiral to success story, and I'll be right here beside you to cheer you on. Welcome to Motherhood in ADHD.
Patricia Sung [00:01:08]:
It is time to preorder your copy of Motherhood in ADHD, the book. I am finished with the book. It is turned in. It is getting printed, and it comes out in February, but I have some great preorder bonuses. Because I want you to have some stuff in your hands now. So I'm working behind the scenes getting approvals and everything on how that's gonna go, but I'm impatient and I want to get this party started now. My goal is to get at least 500 books pre-ordered by October 13th, and I'm going to raffle off a spot for my retreat the following weekend for anyone Who has pre-ordered the book. So to get entered into the raffle, you're going to go to my website, patriciasung.com/book, and on there is a Google Form.
Patricia Sung [00:02:00]:
You're gonna put your name, email address, and upload your receipt for pre-ordering the book. And if you wanna order 1 for you and 5 for your friends, you get 6 entries into the raffle. So what does this mean? That means that if we can get to 500 copies of the book pre-ordered by October 13th, On October 14th, I am gonna invite one of those people to come to the retreat that following weekend here in Houston, Texas. I am covering your retreat ticket, so that includes your lodging, it includes all your food, activities. All you have to do is get yourself here. You get to spend the entire weekend relaxing, hanging out with other moms who get you. You get to just like turn off your mom antennas and relax. Don't worry about all the stuff.
Patricia Sung [00:02:48]:
I cannot wait for one special mama to have that weekend to relax. If you want to read all the details about it, you can take a look at it on my website and drool over it and then figure out how many copies you're going to buy to put your name in the raffle. Go preorder your book, go fill in the preorder form on my website, get entered into the raffle, and then I will report back here in a week or two On what the preorder bonuses are that everyone will get that preorders the book and send me their information. And I cannot wait. I'm so excited for you to have this book in your hands. But for now, tell your friends, order your copy, yell it from the rooftops. So I wanna hit those 500 copies by October 13th, and I can't do it without you. Go preorder your book and head over to patriciasung.com/book and tell me that you preordered it.
Patricia Sung [00:03:38]:
Okay, go team! Hey there, Successful Mama. It's your friend Patricia Sung. I am trying something new for the next couple episodes here, and I'm hoping that it'll become a regular appearance, but I am sharing my bold and unfiltered unpopular opinions on certain topics, which as a recovering people pleaser and a perfectionist and all, you know, just training myself to keep my opinions to myself for most of my life is quite the step outside my normal. But this is something that I'm really working on for myself this year is speaking truth and speaking boldly. And I feel like I did that really well with the book because there was nobody there to argue with me. And so I'm putting myself out there and speaking boldly and practicing that here with you. And so this should be interesting. And keep in mind, you don't have to agree with everything I say.
Patricia Sung [00:04:28]:
As I always tell my kids, if everybody in the world was the same, it'd be really boring. So it's okay if you don't agree with me. And I'm still gonna practice speaking boldly my opinions. So let's jump in and see how it goes. My unpopular opinion for today is take the easy way out. Make it easy. Why are we making things so hard for ourselves? Just make it easy, my dear. If you are struggling with something, how can you make it easier? There is no rule book that says please make life the most difficult as possible.
Patricia Sung [00:04:57]:
That's not a thing. Take the easy way. If it is easier for you to leave your purse right by the door, leave the purse by the door. If you don't have time to put a hook up, fine, put a hook up later. Later could be 7 months from now or 2 years, but just put your purse where you're gonna remember it. I know it's annoying to have purses sitting out. I know it's annoying for things to look messy, but you know what? If you're gonna remember the stuff because you put it by the door, take the easy way out. I take the easy way out when it comes to lunches.
Patricia Sung [00:05:26]:
I'm not making lunch. I'm not doing more things in the morning. I'm not a morning person. So my kids buy lunch at school every day. Is it the best lunch? No. But for the cost and the time, like, I can't buy all those ingredients for $2. I can't make a lunch faster than putting money on their account that lasts them for several weeks. I am not making this more complicated.
Patricia Sung [00:05:45]:
And now that my kids are older, I'm like, listen, you want to pack your lunch, you go right ahead. You need to tell me what you want from the grocery store. There's a list on the counter. You want baby carrots? Put baby carrots on there. But like, my rule is you have to have one fruit or vegetable. I don't care which one, put a fruit or vegetable in there. I taught them how to look at the school menu so they can see on the days that they don't like the whatever thing, they put on the Skylight calendar, I'm gonna pack my lunch on Tuesday 'cause I don't like the lunch on whatever they're serving on Wednesday. So they know and they pack the lunch.
Patricia Sung [00:06:12]:
Take the easy way out. And yes, that's gonna look different depending on the age of your kids. But please stop making things so hard. When you are stuck on a problem, ask yourself, wait, well, how can I make this really easy? What's the easiest way to do this? Stop making things difficult. It's not lazy, it's efficient. It's working with your brain. Take the easy way out. Anytime you are stuck, what's the easiest way I could do this? Please make your life easier.
Patricia Sung [00:06:35]:
They are not handing out trophies for thou who shall make life most difficult. No, take it easy. Take it easy, take it easy. Just make it easier. You are already doing 700 things. Just take the easy way out. And that is my unpopular opinion of the day. I will talk to you soon, successful mama.
Patricia Sung [00:06:51]:
For more resources, classes, and community, over to my website, motherhoodinadhd.com.