I’m so grateful for the doors God has opened in my writing career, and I love what I do, but some days it seems there just aren’t enough hours to do it. I’m drowning in details. Right now I’m working on a tight book deadline that involves multiple tasks while also promoting another book that will require days on the road. And when I’m back home, there will be hundreds of emails to answer.
Add in working part-time for our family business and tax time, and the result has been days when I’ve felt like the details were running me instead of the other way around. But God has shown me ways to cope:
1) Stay prayerful
Pray about all that I’m facing and ask God to be the keeper of my schedule.
2) Step away
Take a step back and re-evaluate. What tasks inspire me? What tasks are burdens that are not productive? What tasks can I let go? This is the place to be brutally honest. I want my priorities to be God, family and then others. It’s easy for those relationships to get skewed.
3) Learn to say no.
This is a tough one—but nobody can do everything.
4) Ask for help.
Let others pitch in and help. What about asking my family to help with laundry, meals and housework? Those are great life skills for children to learn.
5) Rest.
Pay attention to your body when its telling you it needs rest. I’ve found that when I’m exhausted, I’m not nearly as productive.
6) Get a God Squad
Build a tribe and find friends who will pray for and with me and who will encourage me as I do the same for them.
Whenever I feel like I’m about to sink, God throws me a life-preserver. If I’ll just listen to Him as I’m planning my days, He’ll give me the wisdom that can keep me from drowning in the details.
