My own personal goal is that I connect with you monthly. Yet, here we are at the end of August, and I haven’t sent out an e-inspiration since June!
I operate well with deadlines, and I temper my personally-imposed deadlines with a balance of real life and self-preservation. Could I have made different choices to connect more frequently this summer? Yes. It’s not the fact that I ‘ran of out time.’ It’s the reality that I made different choices. My summer was not a typical summer, as it was overly full. I dislike the term ‘crazy busy’ but it kind of applies. Here’s a little insight into the past few months:
– mid-June we committed to expanding our family by hosting a foreign exchange student from Norway, for the school year
– our youngest daughter moved into her older sister’s bedroom
– our oldest daughter moved into an apartment
– we relocated my home office and my husband’s home office
– our 16 year old and I went on a 10 day mission trip to Navajo Nation in AZ
– the day before we returned from the mission trip, our foreign exchange student arrived
– we moved my mom from our hometown of Rothsay, MN, so she could be closer to my family
– I learned how to operate the board at the radio station so I was able to be at the station and on-air solo when my co-host was gone. I’ve never run a marathon, but those mornings made me feel as though I had.
– And, yes, there was time for speaking and coaching; I had the privilege of speaking to hundreds at various conferences and events!
During all of this, there were times I felt a bit (or a lot) overwhelmed. There was clutter in my mind, clutter in my house, boxes everywhere! Looking back, I realize there were some steps I took as I attempted to preserve my sanity, my health and my relationships. Maybe these will be helpful to you when you go through a ‘crazy busy’ time:
- Focus on gratitude. Is all the activity a reflection of all the blessings in your life? Maybe a shift in perspective could benefit you.
- Look ahead to the next deadline and consider if it is a firm deadline, a made-up deadline and how critical it is. This can help you say no, say not now or say yes to what you need to focus on next.
- Overlook the unimportant and stay focused on the important. A friend noticed that my flower pots weren’t looking too good. That is true; my flower pots were not getting much attention but that wasn’t important to me in light of everything else going on. At work, it’s easy to get pulled into the weeds — the busyness that can take you off course. Stay focused on the main thing.
- Pay extra attention to your health (mind, body and soul). You’ll need health in those areas to help you handle the challenges of life.
- Take time for downtime. Time with family, time with friends, time to unplug, time to pray, time to read.
The flower pots still aren’t looking good, but that’s okay with me. We’ve made some life-changing transitions and that’s what’s important.