Busyness
Visit the Ham-Bus household any time Monday-Saturday and you will likely feel like you are in the midst of a buzzing, bee hive filled with sweet honey. Appointments, work, meetings, daycare drop-offs, studying, teaching, writing, reading, meal prep, shopping, budgeting, praying, networking…(are you exhausted yet?) my to-do list is long. When I check one thing off, I add two more. There is always something that needs to be done and usually somewhere I need to be. Busyness. Are you familiar with the saying, “An idle mind is the devil’s playground?” I am, so I try my best not to waste time and become idle. I like being productive and I want to make the most of my time doing things that matter. But sometimes this leads to busyness and sometimes my busyness becomes the devil’s playground. Frustration, shortness, crankiness and a bad attitude often creeps in when I am focused on everything that I must do. When I am in the middle of doing a million things that matter if I let my guard down, the devil has a field day.
Guarding Yourself during a Season of Busyness
It is inevitable that during some seasons of life you will be downright busy. There will be times when fifteen minutes quickly turns into a day and days fly by like a blur and turn into months. Whether it is your family life, ministry life, work life, there will be seasons of busyness. Maintaining priorities during these seasons is the key to guarding yourself. Who cares what you have done if you are constantly biting your loved ones head off? Does it matter what you have accomplished if your family feels neglected? If you haven’t heard from the Lord in days because you were so busy doing for him are you really pleasing him? Busyness must be balanced.
Finding Balance
Balance is so important, anytime that the scales of life are unbalanced there will be discord. I want to live a balanced and abundant life and it is so possible! Here are a few things I have put into practice that help me during my seasons of busyness.
Prioritize relationships
For me, the first and most important relationship is my relationship with God, then comes my husband and children. Meeting with God keeps me inspired, energized, refreshed and He helps me focus on what is truly important. Sometimes we talk for five minutes in the morning, sometimes we talk for an hour. He knows the demands of life and he meets us where we are. I always try to ensure I keep my most important relationships in a healthy state before I give my time and energy to other people and activities.
Write everything down
Have you ever gotten so frustrated because you double booked yourself? Or done a million things in one day only to feel like you have accomplished nothing? The ‘To-Do List’ has become my best friend these days. When I write everything down that I need to accomplish and I start marking things off my list, I stay motivated and positive. My calendar helps me keep track of what I have signed up for so I don’t miss appointments or double book myself. I try to keep these things on hand at all times so if something pops up I can write it down and not forget it. If writing it down is not your style, our lovely phones have many apps and calendars that can help you stay more organized which is so vital during times of busyness.
Schedule time for yourself
Although the busyness you experience may benefit you (financially, emotionally, socially) you most likely are giving to others more than you give to yourself. It is so important to make time for yourself. Do something that you love, get a pedicure, read a book, take a nice long bath. Whatever it is that gives you life and energizes you (as long as it is not illegal or unbeneficial) do it and do it often. Just do it! You are important. You matter. You are worthy. Stop putting everything and everybody before you. ☺
Practice saying ‘NO’
If you are like me, you hate to let people down. At one point in my life, I would feel so guilty if I could not be there for every activity I was invited to. Or maybe you are one who says you will do something knowing there is no way you’d ever be able to make it work in your schedule. The Bible says, “let your yes be yes and your no be no.” It is okay to say “No.” Drawing boundaries around your time helps you keep your priorities aligned. Learn to say “No” so you can protect the time (me-time, family time, work time, prayer time etc.) that is most valuable to you.
Pray
Sometimes I fail at everything I just suggested to you. Sometimes I am so busy that I forget or neglect to do the things that I know will help me when I feel overwhelmed. One of things I never forget though is prayer. Praying, whether it be a short “Jesus, help me!” kind of prayer or an outpouring of my soul, it always helps me. Giving my troubles, worries, frustrations over to God takes the burden off me and helps me focus on what is truly important. Prayer works and is readily available and should be used always, especially during seasons of busyness.
One day we will look up and wonder where the time went. The seasons of life and busyness are fleeting. The Bible warns us “to make the most of our time because the days are evil” (see Ephesians 5:16). I hope that you have been encouraged and will be able to find joy in the midst of your busiest days. Stay focused on what is most important, leave the rest up to God and enjoy your blessings!
Amen! Love the scripture A woman once told me that BUSY meant Being Under Satan’s Yoke. I myself have been consistently questioning what am I actually doing all day because as BUSY as I am, I don’t feel accomplished. I recently purchased this journal, where the cover says “I will hold myself to Grace and not Perfection. This journal was pretty pricey and honestly, I would never have paid the price if it wasn’t for the inside. One page is just for daily brain dumping. My mind is far from idle but also is the devils playground with to many thoughts going in all types of directions basically with all the things that keep you busy…home, work, family, future, ministry etc…. This journal helps me to get it all out on paper daily. The right side of the Journal is for expressing thoughts and there are 2 boxes at the bottom that ask – What went well today? & What was Challenging? This has helped me to find positive things in my day and get out negative things so they don’t stay trapped in my mind. I also NEED the calendar and have To Do List everywhere including my phone. I love your revelation on making sure things are healthy at home before anything else. During the last 3 years, The Lord spoke something similar to me. I am still a work in progress in this area but on my Vision Board is the phrase “Family Comes First”. Thank you so much for sharing this blog. I look forward to seeing where “C” leads us. In Jesus Name! Amen
I love that acronym: Being Under Satan’s Yoke because it’s true that we are easy to attack when we are in busy mode. Also, I need to see this journal you are referring to, please send me the link. It sounds good. I am still working on my organizational and journal strategy, it’s okay but could use some improvement. Thanks for sharing with me, it means a lot and I truly appreciate it!
Oh my goodness! This has my name written all over it-most if it! My household is the same – as busy as can be, but mostly me! I have a habit of overextending myself and not being able to say NO! I have been that way for most of my life, and I feel like I have to be doing something. Well, guess what? That is getting really old, and I suffer the most. I have no time for myself, to just take care of me. Every few months I say I’m going to start doing this or that for myself, and I never do. Instead, I add another school, sports or work project in its place and I put myself on the back burner. I’m so far on the back burner, I’ve almost left the stove entirely! I pray that God gives me the tools necessary to say no and work on me – with our oldest son readying for HS graduation and college in May, and the other son in 3rd grade and now becoming more active, (Yes!) , our lives are about to change, and this is again prompting me to PLAN for a change for ME – I need it! My no’s are definitely not always no, but I do confess I’m a work in progress! Pray for my continued strength to be able to continue to serve through volunteering but to find more of a balance. My mind runs a marathon on a daily basis and I have to find a way off this train! Thank you for the scriptural reminder. Sometimes you need just that!
This is the year, we will do the things that matter and that make us better all around. We are all Masterpieces in Progress!