It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. Why? It’s really quite simple. Busyness has consumed me. I was involved in several professional organizations. I volunteered for several non-profit assemblies. I started working for a new company that required much more time, effort, diligence and travel availability. However, this company provided limited opportunity to vacation and de-stress. Before I realized it, I was burnt out and totally unmotivated to focus on the things I was called to do.
Busyness is a detrimental distracter that enters our lives through acceptance of tasks, roles, and responsibilities. Initially, we don’t even realize the magnitude of the responsibilities we have embraced. What starts off as a leadership or volunteer role in one organization quickly expands to additional roles and responsibilities. Somewhere deep inside, we know that we should say “no” to the request to lead or serve in various capacities. However, feelings of obligation and even guilt take over and we soon find ourselves committing to yet another role. This is where I found myself. Yet, this is where I found myself.
Constant frustration, de-motivation, disappointment, tiredness, stress and incremental weight-gain were signs that I needed to remove busyness from my life. I started this journey by identifying activities that I was no longer excited about being involved in. Gradually, I removed myself from these activities. I tried to ensure that my transition wasn’t abrupt and that there was a transition plan in place. My next step included identifying the things that I really enjoyed. This process involved saying “no” to some activities to ensure there was time available for the things that provided a fun outlet for removing stress and frustration. The last thing I did was to ensure that the remaining activities in my life cultivated, enhanced and/or developed skills that increased the effectiveness of what I was called to do. This is a continuous process as events, people, and circumstances change the scope of our lives.
Life should be an abundance of meaningful activities that bring value to our lives. Join me on a journey to remove busyness and distractions that seek to derail what we are called to do.