"How have you been?" reply..."busy"..."you know I'm just so busy."
It's a common question we ask and busy is a regular response. I'm not going to sugar coat this one.
I remember a time in my life where I was just busy, busy, busy. Then one day I woke up to reality and I have been trying to un-busy myself ever since. There is nothing wrong with being busy. In fact God does not want us to sit idle. We need to be busy about the right things. So how do we know what the right things to be busy about in our life are?
Start with writing some goals. Make a list of some short term goals, meaning things you hope to accomplish within the next six months to two years. Then make a list of some long term goals, meaning goals you hope to achieve within the next two to ten years.
Evaluate how you spend your time each day. Just take one week and jot down nightly what you did throughout your day. If you continue to do that day after day, week after week, will it get you to where you want to be on your goal list?
For example if my goal is to lose 30 pounds this year and I wake up eating cheese puffs every morning will that help me get to my goal? By the way I did that this morning and that happens to be one of my goals! Not to eat cheese puffs every morning but to lose 30 pounds this year!
If my goal is to restore a relationship but I continue to let bitterness and anger eat away at me, chances are that relationship will not be restored. I have to change something and start with myself.
If my goal is to be financially free but I charge the card, go out too much and carelessly spend I will not ever be financially free.
I as much as you would love to snap my finger and look like a supermodel. But I can't! It takes daily work. I need to eat right, exercise, and use lots of Avon!
The point is whatever your goals are be realistic! Be realistic in the time frame you give yourself to achieve them. You must start today to finish right!
First of all what and who are you trying to achieve this for? Several years ago my goal sheet would have looked like this...Buy a caddy...Live in a 2 story home with pool, Jacuzzi, white fence and marble floors, go to Disney every weekend. Sounds fun! Hmmm.
Here is the reality of that dream, large amounts of debt and no free time because I am too busy taking care of a house too large. My family is so aggravated with each other because we are so busy taking care of everything that the last thing we want to do is go to Disney together.
Let me also say I do not own a caddy. Nor do I live in a large home and unfortunately we don't visit Disney every weekend. However, I have a friend who is blessed to do so which I openly admit I am a little envious of and she gets a kick out of it.
I had a change of heart. Life is no longer be about me. Now let me also say "me" gets it's ugly self into the picture sometimes. My goal list 5 years ago looked more like this...
Restore relationship with family
Be a better wife and mom
Be financially free
Give time to others
Take better care of myself, lose weight
We are almost financially free with the exception of our house and long term security. Do we make lots of money...nope. I spend more time with my kids than ever! Both cars are paid for and we are able to give more. In fact with our current income we are considered poverty. We have been unemployed for the last year. Thank God we had a change of heart, otherwise this last year could have cost us a lot more, possibly even our marriage. We were able to give of our time more than ever this year and in the last year and a half I have lost 100 pounds. And don't buy the lie that it takes two incomes. It is a lifestyle choice. You will never get back time with your children. That's worth more than anything!
This was years of work, goal setting and keeping focused. This is what it is going to take for you to achieve your goals.
May be you really want a large home and all the work that comes with it. Have at it... not this lady's cup a tea! If you can afford some people to help you with your home, go for it.
I like to start with these questions:
Will it glorify God? How will it glorify God?
What does my spouse need from me?
Do my goals add to his/her need or take away from it?
What do my children need from me?
Does my goal add or take away from this?
I have found once these questions get answered you can come up with a list of attainable goals and have a more peaceful and joyful life.
You can have a better life if you start making right choices today!
Start today and finish right...and always dream big!!!!
Happy New Year....Welcome 2011!
and I always like to end with some tunes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeEyWWCw0PA&feature=related
It's time we break out...tear the walls down..we will be the difference for You now...Yeah that's what I'm talking about!
