Overcoming Discouragement

A checklist, a plan, and some action.

I woke up Sunday discouraged. I had a list of things I needed to do running through my head, and I felt overwhelmed and anxious.

The past few weeks have been great. I have no reason to feel discouraged. My family had a great time at the beach two weeks ago. Hardhits is going well; we got our new embroidery machine up and running last week. I’m so excited about it; it sews so nicely and efficiently. And Project No Cap has been jamming. We added Yuval Levin to the board of advisors and John Hesse to the board of directors. We’ve made major updates on our website, and the community team is preparing to roll out our canvassing efforts.

In my head, I have to keep the momentum going with Project No Cap, keep growing the company, and keep spending time with my family. And I am. I spent Saturday shopping with the girls. This year we decided to homeschool our twins. So, we went to Barnes & Noble to buy books, Target for supplies, and Best Buy for MacBooks. It was a wonderful but long day.

When I got home, I had a No Cap meeting with Bryan. Vanessa and the twins went to pick flowers. I watched the John Wayne version of True Grit with Julia. (My granddad loved John Wayne.) While watching the movie, I worked on the Homeschool site for the twins. When the girls got home, they were so excited to share the bouquets they made. I was excited to show them the site; I made a place for them to learn family history as well.

Thank you, Grace Haven Farm, for the wonderful event; the girls had a blast!

When we first told them about homeschooling, they weren’t too excited about the idea of leaving their friends behind, but when they went to bed, I heard them say, “Maybe homeschool won’t be so bad.”

So why did I wake up discouraged? It’s mainly because I was emotionally exhausted. I don’t want to complain. (Things said right before someone complains….) But I have a lot of responsibility, and I maintain a lot of work and family relationships. I’m ok with that; those are my choices. I believe a stronger representative government will provide stability for my children and grandchildren in the future, and I am willing to sacrifice for their futures. Because others did the same for me. But that means I have a lot to do. And when I’m tired and want to rest, but I don’t have the time. I feel overwhelmed, like I’m letting people down.

So after I felt discouraged and overwhelmed, I made a list of things I needed to do this week. Then I made a plan with Vanessa to get them done. I took a bike ride with the twins, and after we went to Barnes & Noble to start checking items off the list.

I worked on the Project No Cap Annual meeting, emailing vendors and volunteers and sending personal invites to friends and family. When I got back home, I made updates to the Representation Foundation website.

I made dinner with Vanessa and the twins. We had Steak, potatoes, and Hamilton style Brussels Sprouts. We watched the latest episodes of The Great Food Truck Race and Silo, and then we went to bed. Before bed, I looked at my list; I had four out of twelve items checked off.

I still felt a little overwhelmed, but I no longer felt discouraged. I felt productive. I’m still tired, but I am no longer emotionally exhausted; I’m recharged for another week.

Thanks for letting me share my discouragement with you. Hopefully I didn’t complain too much. If you would like to help me check items off my list, RSVP to the Project No Cap Annual meeting. It will be held on August 22nd at The Winery at Sunshine Ridge at 5 PM. Dinner will be served by Pampas Fox Catering with an open bar (beer and wine only). I would love to see all my friends and family who have supported me on this journey for reform there. If you are reading this, I want you there. We can build a stable future for our kids, and this is just the beginning.

Peace, Love, & Representation,

Jeff Mayhugh