There is always something else to do. Another meeting, another appointment, another practice, another game. We have dinner to cook, dishes to clean, a floor to vacuum and bills to pay.
Restlessness, anxiety and worry are often byproducts of the way we live life, which, simply stated is overloaded. There have been times in my life when I would look at my schedule and feel a sense of panic. Rapid heart beat, shortness of breath and a sinking feeling of "How am I going to get it all done?" Questions would bounce around my mind...
- Why am I always behind?
- Why can't I ever catch up?
- Why am I doing this to myself?
The answers to the above questions may vary slightly from person to person however, when it comes to "Getting It All Done," there seems to be a few common denominators that link us all together.
Here Are 3 Reasons Why You (And I) Aren't Getting It All Done
1. You Are Doing To Much
Q: How much water can you pour into a 1 gallon container?
A: 1 gallon of water.
Q: how many activities can you fit into one day?
A: 24 hours of activity.
The difference between questions one and two is capacity. I think we would all agree that it's easy to define the capacity of a one gallon container, it's one gallon! I also think we would agree that it's difficult to define the capacity of each individual.
Yes, we all get 24 hours in our day but there is something unique about each of us that allows some to get more things done than others. What each of us (specifically first born and only children) need to understand is this...we are all wired differently and just because you CAN get more done (have the ability to do more) doesn't mean you SHOULD do more.
2. You Feel Guilty When You Stop
Office work is caught up, the house is clean, and the kids are at soccer practice and there we are, all alone. Now what? Is your mind racing? Is there something else to do? Have you forgotten something? Guilt sets in. We "feel" bad because we are taking time to relax, refuel, and replenish.
The truth is, we like being busy. We like having a full calendar. We don't want to be thought of as lazy or a looser or a slacker. Busyness has taken on a persona and has become the workaholics best friend and that friend is codependent and extremely needy.
3. You Fear That You Are Not Enough
I am not thin enough, smart enough, fast enough, friendly enough, important enough, happy enough, rich enough...and the list could go on and on.
I remember sitting down in an executive meeting several years ago. There were 8 or 9 of us in the room at the time. I remember going around the room that day listening to this inner voice say...
"Craig, why are you here? What gives you the right to be at this table with these people? You are the only guy here that hasn't written a book or done something marquee with their life. Who you are is not enough! Now, what are you going to do about it?"
I answered my inner voice later that day, "I'm going to write a book!" And I did! Now when I sat at the table I would be worthy, I would be enough! But the truth is I still felt the same way. Why? Because I didn't have a best selling book!
Solomon says it best, "I found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind." Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NLT
What I am saying is the above story never ends. The compulsion to do more the fight to be more will only change when we say ENOUGH! "I Am Enough!"
Each of the 3 reasons why we aren't getting it all done have a common thread of insecurity, competitive nature and desire to be more than we are or need to be. Solomon would add, "I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors." Ecclesiastes 4:4 NLT
I'm not saying don't do what you can to reach your God given potential. I'm simply saying don't try and go beyond it. Trying to do more than you were designed for will only lead to a workaholic lifestyle and from one recovering workaholic to another, it's simply not worth it. "Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t." Ecclesiastes 6:9 NLT
Questions:
1. Do you fight with the feeling of "I'm not _______________ enough?" (Fill in the blank)
2. What area, specifically, do you feel like you don't measure up or are not enough?