How Many Plates Are You Juggling?

Happy New Year friends!  Our family had an amazing time on vacation last week, filled with laughter, memories, relaxation, and lots of coffee!  Like many people, at this time of year, I often spend time reflecting on the past year, reevaluating goals, and setting new ones.

One of my goals this year is to decrease the "clutter" in my life.  No, not clutter that is on counter tops  but instead the clutter that I fill my life with due to my bad habits like people pleasing and my own high expectations.  Lehman's term:  My over-commitments.  So I put together a little list of things I'm in the process of evaluating.  There is still more work that needs to be done, but hopefully it helps you to do a little reevaluating of your own!

What is in my life that really matters?  

My relationship with God-  my days don't go well when time isn't spent with Him.  When I start my morning with Him and give Him control of my to do list for the day, then everything that needs to get done does and the things that don't....I don't stress out about because He gives me peace about letting them wait.

My marriage-  our time looks so different now that we have a child, but in the time that we do have couldn't I get off my computer and snuggle up to my handsome hubby longer?  Couldn't I sit down for a few minutes and stop worrying about the dishes and enjoy watching a football game with him.  Couldn't I for one moment stop worrying how much the date he is taking me on costs and just trust him and know that he wouldn't chose to do this if we couldn't afford to?

My kids-  I don't know about you but I spend far too much time worrying about my to do list and not nearly enough time pausing to take time to invest in the "Read book mom" that I hear requested from my sweet 21 month olds voice.  I want to read more, play more, love more, laugh more and kiss those sweet cheeks as much as I can.

My friendships-  I worry far too much about all I need to get done that I rarely give myself a break to go grab coffee with a friend.  I need these people.  I need girl friends.  I need time to talk.  I need realness from other moms and women who are in the trenches of life too. 

What is in my life that needs to change?

The computer/internet-  I need to do what I need to do and get off.  Too much of my time is wasted on something that is so unimportant.  

My attitude-  This is probably the biggest thing that needs to change.  I need to be ok saying "No" to someone when I can't commit myself to one more thing.  I need to be ok not having perfectly clean floors.  I need to be ok with letting an undone task be left undone in order to invest in something that is more important at the time.  I need to be ok with not being perfect.

What about you friend?  Are you juggling too many plates right now?  Are you really joyful about all that is on your To Do list or is it time for you too to clear out some clutter and really evaluate what's important in your families lives so that you don't miss out on God's best for you?  

Do yourself a favor and spend sometime today or someday soon writing out all the things you are doing right now and spend sometime praying and really evaluating what is important to keep and what you need to release from your tightly clenched up fist and trust that God will take care of even if you don't have your hand on it anymore!

Blessings,