Empower the Squirrel Chaser: Shift from Problem to Purpose

Are you a squirrel chaser? Have you ever been so caught up in chasing squirrels that you’ve forgotten what you were doing?

Yep. Me too!

If I had a dollar for every time that’s happened to me, I could take us for a trip around the world.

But, so far, I haven’t found anyone to pay me for my squirrel chasing efforts.

Today on Growing Hope, I am sharing how this squirrel chaser has learned to use 5 questions to judge if it’s a distraction or empowering me to purpose.

Growing Hope with Kathryn Lang

Confessions of a Squirrel Chaser

Hello – I’m Kathryn. And I’m a squirrel chaser.

I chase squirrels because random things make me smile (ask my husband about my need to point out EVERY SINGLE airplane, even if he’s in the middle of his after church soliloquy – or even better – how whenever I see a helicopter I shout “Wolverines!”)

I chase squirrels, in part, because I’m curious. I want to know the root of the situation or the story even if it has nothing to do with me (but ESPECIALLY if it does).

My husband likes to remind me that curiosity killed the cat, but I like to remind him that satisfaction brought it back . . . you know, cause cats have nine lives.

But when something piques my curiosity, I want to keep digging until I find the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Not the superficial covering that’s being tossed around social media. I want the root – because it is at the root that you often discover that truth (or as close to the truth as you can get).

And I chase squirrels because it puts off doing what I know I need to be doing even when I want to be doing it – because I’m nervous it won’t work, or I won’t be enough, or others will point and talk (although, you’d think at this time in my life I’d be okay with that).

I have a lot of reasons to chase squirrels.

What about you? Do any of these reasons resonate with you? Or maybe you have other squirrel chasing motivations.

Whatever the reason, squirrel chasing isn’t the solution – unless you’ve found that person that will pay for your squirrel chasing efforts in which case PLEASE get in touch and let me know!

What I’ve found in all of my squirrel chasing endeavors is that there is always another squirrel.

So Many Squirrels

Sometimes they even cross paths so that I start chasing one squirrel and end up chasing another.

Squirrels are EVERYWHERE – and they always show up at the most inopportune times. Before you know it, you’ve spent half the day trying to find the root of a problem that wasn’t even affecting you (and never will).

Or you’ve flittered away the last two hours trying to find the perfect emoji to go with the email you wrote in five minutes.

Or the pork chops you left to simmer in the oven have dried out so much you can use them as leather because you got caught up in following that Twitter thread all the way to its conclusion.

Do you ever find yourself chasing squirrels for no reason whatsoever?

Squirrel Chaser Traps

My husband and I are reading through the Bible together using a chronological translation. Right in the middle of everything, Psalms showed up. Not the whole book, mind you, just a smattering here and there.

It reminded me of how much I enjoyed reading Psalms every month – and Proverbs. (I promise this squirrel has a point). I have mentioned that I developed my Scripture reading habit by reading Proverbs every month and then adding the Psalms (the whole book).

Thinking about this reminded me that even though I have a reading plan, I’m missing out on something that strengthened my heart the most. Two hours later, I still hadn’t finished my daily chronological readings, but I did map out a new quarterly schedule that included a monthly reading of Psalms and Proverbs.

Which, in and of itself, isn’t a problem. But I needed those two hours for a dedicated project.

How to Empower the Squirrel Chaser

A squirrel chaser isn’t always stuck in problems. Empowering the squirrel chasing comes from being aware of the why, what, and how of your squirrel chasing adventures so you can create a balance – turning what could be a problem into a tool for purpose.

1. Is this your squirrel?
2. Do you have the time for a wonderland adventure?
3. Is there a hard stop that will bring you back?
4. Can someone else chase this particular squirrel for you?
5. Is this the squirrel you are looking for?

Have you ever gotten lost in your squirrel chasing when you knew you needed to be somewhere else?

I’m often surprised that my squirrel chasing gift didn’t get me kicked out of school. The teacher would say something or do something that would make me curious about something else, and I would start writing.

What probably saved me was the inability to do the research right then and there.

The other day, this happened in church, and before the sermon ended I had two pages of notes that had nothing to do with the outline offered from the pulpit.

My husband even asked me about the answer for #3 and I just smiled. His eyeroll proved he knew my church time had been spent squirrel chasing.

But I am getting better at recognizing my squirrels from THEIR squirrels.

And that’s the first way you can overcome the squirrel chasing habit.

Is It Your Squirrel?

I saw something on a rerun the other day and I was one click away from chasing their squirrel – but it had NOTHING to do with me. I had NO skin in the game. And nothing I would uproot would move me forward in my purpose.

So I watched THEIR squirrel scamper away, happy to let it go.

Do you know your purpose? The key to knowing if it’s your squirrel is to know your YOUnique design.

Until you know you, who you are designed to be, what you are designed to do, and your place in God’s purpose, all the squirrels will look the same.

Define YOU so you can determine if it’s your squirrel you’re chasing.

#QuoteoftheDay

The second thing you need to determine is whether you have time for a wonderland adventure – because squirrel chasing will take you down that rabbit hole.

Do You Have the Time?

There have been squirrels that I knew I was going to chase, but I also knew I had priorities first.

But if you’re like me, you know that an out-of-sight squirrel is a forgotten squirrel, which is probably why I chase the squirrels when I see them.

I’ve started keeping a large sticky notepad handy so that when I see the untimely squirrel, I can make notes for later.

Even if it is a squirrel I want to chase, it’s not the right squirrel if it’s not the right time.

Do you have time for your squirrel chasing needs?

Pro Tip: I try to schedule in “research time” so I have time to chase those squirrels that I’ve labeled important.

The third thing when it comes to the squirrel chasing habit is to prepare a hard stop.

Do You Have a Hard Stop Barrier?

I have regularly scheduled meetings on Mon, Tues, Thur, and Fri. I am learning that putting my squirrel chasing endeavors in front of those meetings forces me to limit my squirrel chasing.

A hard stop is a time constraint that you won’t forget and you can’t miss.

But putting your squirrel chasing in front of those hard stops, you harness the power of squirrel chasing without letting the squirrels take control.

What is a hard stop you can use to backstop your squirrel chasing endeavors?

The fourth question to ask when it comes to squirrel chasing is can you pass off this particular squirrel to someone else?

Can You Pass This Squirrel Chasing to Someone Else?

Maybe you have a friend who is already well-versed in the subject, or a son who’s interested in the history of this particular squirrel. Ask for help.

Yes. You can ask others to help you chase a squirrel.

And, squirrel chasing is a great way to make use of the new AI tools – like Grok, ChatGPT, or Gemini, just to name a few. Tell the AI tool the parameters of your squirrel chasing needs (and remember the more specific the better), and let the AI narrow your wonderland trip.

Who could help you with your squirrel chasing?

And finally, the last question to ask:

Is this the squirrel you are looking for? Or did you leave that squirrel four paths back?

Is This the Squirrel You’re Looking For?

I started out the morning looking for a recipe for the dinner dish I had on the menu, but when I logged into the browser, a news flash popped up, and I needed to know more. While I was looking into that new information, a notice flashed on the screen, which required a redirection of my focus.

When my husband came in to ask about breakfast, I had completely forgotten that I was supposed to be looking for a recipe.

I lost track of my squirrel.

When you start squirrel chasing, make sure the squirrel you chase is the one you really wanted.

Squirrel chasing can lead to a wonderland of opportunities, or leave you lost in a maze with a crazed queen chasing you, demanding your head.

Be focused so you can empower your squirrel chasing powers for the good of your YOUnique design.

What’s the last squirrel that stole your attention? Drop it in the comments — I promise not to judge. Unless it was glitter crafts at 2 a.m. I might judge that a little, and only because you probably got glitter on me when you commented.

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