Musings

I was thinking about how much I have on my plate on a daily basis. I’m not talking about food here, just the amount of activities and jobs that I have allowed to crowd my day. It is sad that I almost don’t have time for the Lord. Gotcha! I said almost, and that does not mean that I let all my busyness infringe upon my time with the Lord.

God is the one in whom time originated. He set it into the proper place in creation and ordered it just so we can have sense enough to know when enough is enough. God is the one that keeps us breathing and wakes us up each day. I always start my day with telling him “Thank you.” However, immediately my mind is moved to what I have to do. It is here that I have to consciously begin to organize my thoughts and toils. So how do I get through the day without stressing myself out too much? It is all a matter of setting priorities and handling what I can.

First, I do my best to prioritize my tasks. I learned that our tasks generally fall into two categories: urgent and important. Within these two categories, I further determine what is urgent and what is important. Everything that I try to do is important. Trivial stuff doesn’t seem to exist for me, so I have to determine what might be urgent. Urgency is determined by deadlines. Is there something that has to absolutely be done today and by a certain time? That is where I place my focus first.

The second thing is to start without delay. I find that I tend to finish what I start. I can be doing two or three things based upon the interruptions that come my way (Yes there can be interruptions), but I generally stay focused enough to finish what I start. I especially like to get the easy stuff out of the way, killing the gnats that would otherwise deter me from my task. I feel better every time I finish something. However, I feel even better when I stay on task despite the interruptions. There can be no finish unless there is a start.

Finally, I try to not accept responsibility for things that are not mine to accomplish. Helping others do what they have to do rather than taking their work upon myself is a great deal more relaxing than the overload. I also have learned to listen to the voice of wisdom saying, “If you have overloaded yourself, humbly ask to be relieved of your obligation.” There is no harm in admitting that you have too much on your plate. On the contrary, there is great harm to you and others when you have so much to do that you struggle to get anything done at all. Let something go and deal with what is left over.

My day goes a great deal better when I prioritize my tasks, finish the easy stuff, get started and stay on task for things that I have to do, and relieve myself of what I don’t absolutely have to do. While I feel guilty about not being able to do many of the things that come my way, I feel great when I accomplish what I set out to do. The world is a much better place when I don’t have it resting on my shoulders.