10 Things I Let Slide (Fading Light Edition)
As a boss mama transitioning from Corporate into the confines of pearls, elongated shadows, and forest floor there are some things I’ve learned to let slide.
It hasn’t been gentle, but it’s been very true.
Taken by Jenna Nord Photography at a space we happened upon in New York City.
The dishes.
My gods, I hate dishes.
And with the fading light of the year, this little hearth mama lets it slide a titch! I am a huge fan or energetic clearing at the end of the day, but with school starting and the light shifting…it’s ok that I let the dishes slide as the winds in the Pacific Northwest rise.
Complicated willy nilly meal planning.
This fall it’s a meal in a crockpot if it needs to be! I set an alarm for 13:30 (1:30 PM) every day…it asks “is dinner decided, yet?” An alarm set with one intention - Is dinner out of your afternoon mind?
It’s my own gentle beacon of DO NOT OVER THINK IT - is dinner decided or are we pulling from the deep freezer?
And then I adjust.
At home - even if I am on a call, I step away for a moment, handle business, and then carry on.
From the office - if it has not been decided as a part of my morning, I’m grabbing something on the commute home.
Hanging up laundry.
I mean. It’s done. Clean. Folded….but hanging? Meh…imma let that slide until I wanna and have time to enjoy my laundry playlist.
Texts.
The people that text me love me! And they know that if I am delayed it’s because I was wiping paws, and noses writing, scheming…and it’ met with love.
A moment here for some tough love - if the people you surround yourself with need DAILY, HOURLY, etc. responses to feel validated, babe, what are you doing? There are people ready to love you. For you. In this season. Meet you in your delays. With the admiration that you are leading people, building something, and leaning into your future. There are people who are going to make you feel safe enough to be as brave as you are.
Lil Miss Available.
It can wait. I promise. The call? The Slack response? The need? It can wait. I’ve reserved “can I grab a quick 5” to my core commitments as I close 2026 ASAP….
Rigid rhythm of the week.
I’ve never actually had a child in Kindergarten and one in high school. Whatever rhythm I hoped to take shape has had to yield to what rings true for us as we adjust. And I love that we are adjusting!
We keep dinner sacred and bedtime chitchat time…but any rigidity has been released for the moment of adjustment to new rules, expectations, and people that exist outside our cozy home.
Applying my entire skincare routine like I am being graded (and chased).
Sometimes I am really good about knowing that no one is chasing me as I sink into my evening skincare.
And other times it’s a “let it slide” that I do the bare minimum as slowly as possible.
I mean the minimum.
Mornings - I wash with intention and apply moisturizer with SPF….DONE
Evenings - I gently wash and add oil and deep moisture,,,ENOUGH.
Alllllllll the Legos picked up before bedtime.
This mama hates stepping on Legos, but the hard truth is Legos and sound effects have a secret end date. One unknown to the mama and decided upon by the Wildling.
I know in the moment there’s an “ah!” or “what the"?” but take it from a well-seasoned Millennial mama, that striking Lego pain is so fleeting.
In a blink your foot feels a presence and then it’s gone. With a permanence that echoes deeper than our mothers prepared us for because they started from a different place. It’s ok if all the toys and Legos are not organized or tucked away neatly. Maybe this time, childhood freedom wins?
Optional projects or reporting. I call it “pause protocol” and my team uses it in times of high volume, transition, or when we just all feel pause and support is needed.
Every time we pause, we reassess our meetings, reporting, and projects to see what gets picked back up (and also what no one missed!)
Perfect step count. Perfect Macros. My body has called for more rest as we transition into this new season and I’ve allowed, invited, and yielded to the rest. I have kept my strength training - it’s encouraging and empowering…but this is not a season I can commit to all the steps and all the macros (and tracking). I am tracking enough. I am enough.
I’ve noticed people are no longer coming to me as the Chief Operations Guru. My legacy is becoming the Chief Rest Officer.
And I am loving it!
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