Do you ever find yourself getting busier and busier and wonder if you’ve overstepped from actually accomplishing things into just doing busy work?
Most likely you’ll have one of two responses: (1) Uhh, nope – don’t struggle there… or (2) Yes! I thought I was the only one!
I’m just going to move forward assuming that you chose the second answer and offer some encouragement!
When deciding how busy is too busy, I think it is important to keep a careful perspective. Consider such things as the time line to the busyness, the completion of projects, and other such factors. I like to think of them as seasons and know that some seasons are busier than others.
What exactly do I mean by “time line to busyness” and “completion of projects”? Consider different projects and opportunities that you are currently in the middle of – the things that have you feeling ‘busy’. Perhaps it is a new online training or a new college course. There is so much to learn and so much information being given to you that you feel overwhelmed – or as I tell my nieces and nephews “up to my eyebrows”. (No, I don’t have any clue why I say that – except for that it makes them laugh!)
Maybe you are preparing for an event or occasion – it just seems that the closer you get to it, the busier things are. With housekeeping, laundry, cooking, little ones, etc, it can feel so busy. There is so much to do and so many elements to consider.
But each of these things will slow down as you reach their completion or the end of the day comes. The events will pass, you will get through your new courses or trainings, and each of the tasks you felt so busy with – the ones that you wondered if you were too busy with – will reach their conclusion. That season will pass leaving you free to learn new things and take new opportunities!
This happens to me frequently. I work multiple part-time jobs and I just began a new online business course. I enjoy what I do and I am excited by the new course, but I struggle with being concerned that I get too busy. And on top of that I keep reading tips on how to simplify life. That can really begin to get me down if I focus on it too much! My life doesn’t feel overly simple.
But then I realize that worrying about simplifying in this season is me failing to bloom where I am planted! I would tell you that I had a simple plan for my life, and it didn’t include multiple jobs – it included being a wife and a mother (and I get that that in itself is quite complex and busy)! But that’s not what God has for me right now. And for me to fight the life that He has designed for me is foolish and failing to bloom where I am planted!
So instead of me feeling distressed over that, I want to step fully into the life God has for me! I’m not getting any younger, and I want to make the greatest impact for God that I can in the way that He has planned for me!
How does this all come back to being busy vs productive? In my attempts to immerse myself in what God has for me, I want to be sure that I am productive in my work. I think when one isn’t inclined towards something it can be far too easy to not give it our best shot – keeping busy instead of being productive.
Let me encourage you to seek God’s plan for your life. His plans are perfect and He knows what is best for you! I wish I didn’t struggle with this and need the reminder so often, but I am human and I do. And I am quite certain that I am not the only one!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Care to read more about embracing the season you are in?! Read this post: https://www.theamericanlady.com/2017/04/05/how-to-embrace-this-season/