You Can’t Do It All… and That’s Okay: How to Find Balance When Life Gets Busy
Hi, friend! Welcome back to the Passports, Profits and Pixie Dust Podcast. I’m Lindsay Dollinger—high school Spanish teacher, dog mom, world traveler, and direct seller. I help women build direct sales businesses the right way so they can earn the income they deserve and live their dream lives (and travel the world ✈️).
Today’s message is one that ALL of us—especially busy entrepreneurial women—need to hear:
👉 You cannot do it all.
Yep, I said it.
And as someone who wants to do it all, tries to do it all, and sometimes pretends I actually can do it all… this was a hard truth I had to swallow.
But this message?
It might just change your entire week, your entire school year, and honestly… your entire business.
So let’s talk about it.
💥 The Myth of “Doing It All”
If you’re listening to this when the episode drops, it’s a Monday.
It also happens to be my first day back to school.
If you’re a teacher like me, you’re juggling:
- classroom prep
- curriculum
- family
- LIFE
- and a business you’re passionate about
And even if you’re not in education, the truth still applies:
No one can fit 25 hours of tasks into a 24-hour day.
We ALL have the same amount of time.
Successful people didn’t magically discover an extra hour in the day. They:
✔ learned to manage their time
✔ asked for help
✔ delegated
✔ automated
✔ and prioritized what really mattered
And yes—they said “no” sometimes.
Let’s break down how to do that without losing your mind (or your momentum).
✋ Step 1: Ask for Help (Yes… YOU.)
Asking for help is one of the hardest things for high-achieving women.
But it’s also one of the most powerful.
When I learned I’d be teaching five preps this year (teacher speak for “holy moly, that’s a lot of work”), my coworker immediately offered to help. And even though my instinct was to say, “Oh I’ve got it!” I forced myself to say:
“Yes. I’m going to need your help.”
Asking for help doesn’t make you weak.
It makes you smart.
It keeps you sane.
It prevents burnout.
Your version of asking for help might look like:
- asking your spouse to take kid duty for 30 minutes
- swapping babysitting hours with another mom
- asking your teen to help fold laundry
- letting your coworker help with lesson plans
- asking a teammate to run a training
People WANT to help you—let them.
🗓 Step 2: Plan Your Time Like a Pro
The biggest game changer for me?
Breaking down my day by the hour.
I literally block out:
- work hours
- commute
- workouts
- dinner
- family time
- business time
- rest
Then I plug in small pockets of time for business tasks.
Examples:
- 10 minutes at lunch → follow-ups
- waiting at the vet → connections/love bombs
- Netflix at night → schedule posts while watching
You will be SHOCKED at how many pockets of time you actually have when you stop letting them slip away.
⭐️ Step 3: Choose Your Daily Top 3
This tip is GOLD.
Each night, write down:
Your top 3 must-do tasks for the next day.
Not 15 tasks.
Not a giant overwhelming list.
Just three.
And if you get those done, guess what? You won the day.
A few examples:
- call the dentist
- send 10 hostess messages
- schedule posts for the week
- prep tomorrow’s lessons
- send customer thank you notes
Three tasks keeps you focused and productive—not overwhelmed.
One of my favorite mentors, Jessie Lee, doesn’t go to sleep until her top three are done.
(That’s intense. But it works.)
🔄 Step 4: Delegate Like a CEO
If you’re growing a team:
- let your leaders help
- assign shout-outs
- share training responsibilities
- let others create content
- spotlight their strengths
This grows THEM and frees YOU.
If your company allows sponsor placement, you can also strategically place new teammates under strong leaders. This creates a support structure for the new rep and lessens the load on you.
⚙️ Step 5: Automate Everything You Can
Your future self will THANK YOU.
Automate:
- Facebook posts
- Instagram posts
- Pinterest content
- email newsletters
- follow-up reminders
- team messages
- onboarding workflows
Schedule what you can.
Template what you can.
Systemize what you can.
Think of it as “buying back your time.”
🧼 Step 6: Outsource Your Life (Yes, Really)
This one feels indulgent at first…
but it’s actually just practical.
Some ideas:
- grocery delivery
- meal kit services (Hello Fresh, Green Chef, etc.)
- a house cleaner
- a Roomba (YES—worth every penny)
- carpooling
- yard care
- a virtual assistant
Time is your most valuable resource.
Spend it where it matters most.
🧘♀️ Step 7: Protect Your Energy
You can’t “do it all” if you feel like garbage.
Your energy determines your productivity.
Your productivity determines your income.
So make sure you’re:
- moving your body
- drinking water
- blocking blue light
- taking breaks
- sleeping enough
- eating real food
- listening to personal development
- starting and ending your day with routines
High energy = high output.
🛑 Step 8: Set Boundaries (A Hard One, But Necessary)
You will HAVE to say no, friend.
No to:
- helping with every project at school
- taking on tasks that drain you
- another Netflix marathon
- business tasks that don’t actually produce income
- people who drain your energy
- expectations you can’t realistically meet
“No” is a complete sentence.
And saying it doesn’t make you mean.
It makes you powerful.
💬 Final Truth: You Can Have Everything You Want—Just Not All at Once
You can:
✨ grow your business
✨ succeed at your job
✨ raise your family
✨ take care of yourself
✨ have time for fun
You just can’t do all of it at the exact same moment.
Success is built in layers.
And you’re building yours.
💖 If This Episode Hit Home…
Please:
- leave a rating + review
- screenshot this blog or podcast
- share it in your stories
- tag me @lindsaydollinger so I can shout you out!
And if you’re not yet inside our free Facebook community, join us!
The Marketing Magic & Business Systems Group is linked in the show notes. Come meet your new business besties!
You’re doing amazing things, friend.
Keep going—and remember:
You don’t have to do it all to do it well. 💛