Formula for Busy People II

BALANCE

I once heard a speaker suggest we plan our daily schedules to include tasks we:

• MUST do
• SHOULD do
• WANT to do

For example, we must feed and provide for our families, we really should make that phone call to a friend, and we want to start a new book or new project. The speaker urged men and women to put balance into their days.

This piggybacks nicely with the previous post that emphasized the importance of establishing rich devotional lives and setting goals and priorities when dealing with today’s fast-paced world. Now the challenge is to bring some order to our tasks so we can enjoy the simplicity and peace, and even fun that God offers.

Life to the Full

 

The must/should/want principle might help you accomplish tasks efficiently so there’s time to enjoy the abundant life Jesus speaks of in the book of John. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10)

Try this:

List about 20 things you enjoy. They can be small, like:

• ordering a decadent, calorie-laden latte
• browsing through a new magazine
• planting a garden
• walking through a hardware store to see all the new gadgets
• renting a movie
• playing on the swings with a child
• hiking a wildlife trail
• camping with friends
• learning a new skill
• taking a day trip to…wherever

Sprinkle one or two of the items on your list into your week as little rewards for yourself.  In doing this you will be living out God’s desire for you to experience life, “…to the full.”

We get so engrossed in caring for others or in carrying out responsibilities that we often neglect to care for ourselves and just have fun. Pretend you are your mom or dad who wants to do something special for their child. That child would be you!

Think about the activities of a typical day and see if you can categorize them into must, should, want groupings. Are you out of balance in one of the areas? What can you do to remedy that? Can you use this suggestion in planning your future days? It not only will help balance out your life, it may make you more efficient and perhaps more fun to be around!

God's Joy & Peace

 

Bottom line is God wants us to experience joy and peace. In this passage from John 10, Jesus calls himself the Gate through which the sheep (believers) will enter, be saved, and find pasture. He concludes by emphasizing the reason for all this is so we can experience abundant life. He wants us to be hard-working, responsible and focused but he also desires we have the fun of being sons and daughters of a King. Go and enjoy life to the full!

Formula for Busy People

I would love to give you the gift of TIME 

Let me guess:

• you are stretched to the max
• you can’t possibly complete everything on your agenda
• parts of your life are in disorder
• you rarely feel caught up at work or at home

Modern men and women live exhaustive lives that revolve around the needs of many people; frequently, we try to do it all and do it all perfectly.

Technology, though essential and efficient, may add to the stress since a worker/friend/family member is expected to be on call 24/7 and respond to electronic messages immediately.

A successful CEO of a very large corporation recently suffered a physical breakdown because of too-long working days and too-little sleep at night. Once she recovered she instituted new rules for herself and those in her employ:  no one is expected to answer messages in the evenings or on weekends, unless they are on call.

What Does the Bible Say?

 

Paul wrote this in his letter to the Corinthian church to instruct them about orderly worship:  “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” (I Corinthians 14:33) I think these words can apply to our individual lives, as well. God desires us to live in an atmosphere of peace and order. How do we do that?

What Can I Do?

 

There’s no one solution to this dilemma but there are some practical steps that can help us deal with this age-old problem. Take what works for you and toss out the ideas that don’t suit your personality.

        Mission Statement – Write out a mission statement for yourself for the coming year. This idea is from Knit Together:  Discover God’s Pattern for Your Life by Debbie Macomber. (FaithWords 2008) Corporations and committees write mission statements why not you? Keep it short and direct. “What do I want as guiding philosophy for my life?” Powerful stuff.

        Priorities – List the things important or necessary at this phase of your life. Be sure to include leisure time for yourself. Every priority should support your mission statement.

        Goals – Under each priority list the goals you’d like to accomplish in that area in the next six months or year.

        Steps to accomplish your goals (optional) – If you’re a type A personality, jot down the steps needed to accomplish each goal. Skip it if you’re too busy!

Review your priorities and goals several times throughout the year to see if you’re on target or need to adjust. Perhaps something is unattainable at this time of your life. Is your life balanced? Check for gaps. Your priorities and goals will change as you walk through the various stages of your life and as your family or work dynamics change. Simplify where you can, delegate, and focus on what’s really important.

A Promise!  

 

Here’s the clincher:  a disciplined devotional life will help you find more time—really! Make reading the Bible and prayer a daily occurrence and your day will go more smoothly and efficiently. The busier I am, the more I need to do this. Pray over your mission statement, your priorities, and your goals. God will direct you and keep you focused.