If you’ve been a follower of Faithful Provisions for a while, you’ve probably figured out I try to be organized and stay on top of things (“try” being the optimal word). Nothing stresses me out more than forgetting something or having to do things at the last-minute. I like to feel “prepared” for most situations and I am a bit of a perfectionist (but don’t tell anyone, ha!). That is how God made me. Sometimes it can be a good thing, and sometimes it isn’t.
One thing I’ve noticed about myself over the years is that in my attempt to “stay on top” of everything so I could enjoy life, I actually stopped enjoying life. Somewhere between homeschooling, doing the dishes, folding the laundry, planning meals, writing blog posts, answering emails and taking care of kids, I lost my passion for life. I’m not complaining – I realize that I chose to do those things. I made a conscious choice to stay home and school my kids, to leave my corporate job and even to continue blogging. The thing I recognized was that if I was going to do it, I needed to do it with JOY and embrace it.
A few years back I made a choice to cut back on responsibilities and start finding pockets in the day to enjoy life with my family. Buy being intentional in doing that, I found my joy again and it was L I F E C H A N G I N G. I had no idea what I had been missing! I was so busy trying to “get things done” and stay on top of things so I could relax, that I had forgotten the entire reason I was doing it.
Thankfully we have a God that gently reminds us and leads us back. In His great mercy, my attention was finally drawn to Him and His real plan for me. To live a life of joy and passion for the things He create me for. Not to do them in dread, but in JOY! One of my favorite verses is about that very topic.
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men…” – Colossians 3:23 NASB
When I received the book Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine, it was like a breath of fresh air. I absolutely love Crystal’s vulnerability and her desire to show others that they are not alone. It made me feel a little better to know that I wasn’t the only one. My favorite thing about her book is not only her openness and a look into her life, but all the wonderful tips and strategies she shares that are very easy to implement to create a life filled with joy.
My absolute favorite take-away from her book was the Weekly Goals sheet (you can download it for Free on her blog.) It has been a great tool for me to use each week to keep myself organized and not worry about forgetting anything. I love that I can separate my goals into different categories. For this season of my life, I separate my goals into the following categories:
- Marriage
- Children
- Personal
- Blogging
- Adoption
- Home
I have been using the Weekly Goals sheet every week since finishing the book! It has been quite helpful over the last few weeks in getting myself prepared for our upcoming adoption and all the tasks around it.
What areas are you trying to “survive”? Have you noticed the Joy-stealers in your life?
Thanks for the article! Now I want to go read the book. I love the free goal worksheet too!
I have been guilty of getting caught up in the daily grind and not focusing on the most important parts of life like my wife, kids and in some cases, my prayer life has suffered. Sometimes it’s good to step back and get focused on what’s important. Like you basically said, it’s about getting the joy back in life and remembering why we are alive.
Hi Kelly: I’m so excited to check out this book and her resources. I can completely empathize. The devil is in the details, isn’t he? We get so caught up in the daily grind, that it’s easy to get lost in “things”. Thanks for all of the tips and inspiration you share here. I’ve been following along ever since you spoke at Tory Johnson’s Spark & Hustle in Nashville…but don’t chime in much. 🙂 I always look forward to your posts. Continued blessings to you and yours, Kelly…