Get Busy with Much Doing
It’s easy to get busy with much doing. The band, Alabama, may have said it best when they proclaimed how we rush and rush until life is not fun.
We are busy.
We are working for the weekend, working for a living, and working for vacation.
With all the getting busy going on, you’d think we’d get more done.
#QuoteoftheDay
If finances
are the primary driving force
then I am off-target
from what
I’m supposed to do.
– Kathryn Lang
Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it. Even when it seems good or necessary, it can be a waste of time and resources.
Tripped Into Busy
I needed to bring in some income, so I took a random content job. It was just a job and not in my passion or purpose. The first check sucked me in, driving me to earn more.
On a good day, I invested ten hours completing tasks. I was busy. In my busy, I stopped working on the things that mattered.
CONFESSION: I skipped Scripture readings one morning just so I could get a jump-start on work.
My husband and son ate cereal, sandwiches, and quick-fix meals because I was so busy.
It was nice catching up on finances, but if finances are the primary driving force then I’m off target in what I’m doing.
Finding Balance
I need to be doing what I need to be doing. If I’m too busy to do those things I know to do, then I am too busy.
PERIOD.
My actions need to be leading me towards my Father’s business and in His purpose, and not just into a paycheck. Whew, that’s a bold statement and a bit scary to step into. It requires an all-in focus on my unique design.
What should you do when you are out of balance, so out of season, and definitely out of time?
Go Back to Where You Were
Think about the last time you were balanced, or when you started AND ended the day in a state of peace. Make a list of what was going on, the activities that had your yes, and the situations that received your no so you can remember and repeat as needed.
Be Intentional In Action
Make sure the things you are doing are on purpose. If you are doing it out of habit, by accident, or by default then it may be time to let it go. Spend some time considering the value of the actions.
Get Raw And Honest
The reasons behind the actions can be as important as the action – more so sometimes. Know what drives you so you can change drivers before you end up in a ditch.
Balance comes from finding your focus and being flexible enough to keep going even when things happen. And you need balance if you are going to keep walking out your bold, purposeful, and intentional life. Purposeful actions makes way for doing what you are supposed to be doing instead of staying busy with much doing.
Getting Unbusy
You have to let go of the things that aren’t in your lane if you are going to get unbusy. But cutting back on those things that take up your time can be a challenge. We get tangled up in the determination of “we’ve always done it that way,” or locked up in a box of someone else’s making.
We worry about what others will think or will say. But the truth of those who whisper about our unique walk is that they’d whisper if we chose to conform. If they aren’t going to be happy with our journey then we might as well walk it out in our way.
Consider if you are working in your strengths or working on your weaknesses. Although we need to keep learning and growing, when it comes to intentional actions, keep those in the lane of your strengths.
Think about why you are doing what you are doing and whether it ignites the fire of your heartseed or crushes its very life. If you aren’t growing in your going then maybe you need to let it go.
Give others a chance. When you get busy with much doing, you can run over others that are just trying to go along in their lane.
You can accomplish a lot without getting so busy you miss out on life. In Scripture, Jesus tells Martha that she’s been busy with much doing while Mary chose the better thing (from Luke 10:38 – 42). There are ways to get things done without getting so busy we miss the One thing that truly matters.
Living Beyond Much Doing
We moved our home onto the property and then began the renovations. It was a labor of love, one tile, one shelf, one change at a time. When we were done, we hosted a house blessing.
I spent days trying to get everything put away in a “home” before the big day arrived. It turns out there was more stuff than days to work.
My husband’s cousin showed up early to help in our last-minute preparations. She immediately began putting random things in random drawers. “It’s time to stop sorting and start stashing.”
She was right. We finished stashing the last of the items just before my judgmental relative showed up to grade our results (we all have one of those, right?).
I still needed to find homes for everything, but one hour before the part was not the moment for sorting the junk drawer. If you get busy doing tasks, you’ll miss the party.
The world will do all it can to get you focused on doing things to keep you from hitting your mark. Evaluate what actions you are taking so you can choose the better that leads to living beyond much doing.
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Are you busy or actively intentional in purpose?
Share how you are getting unbusy or a time when much doing rules your day.
Excellent advice. I intend to implement it as soon as I get my To Do list down to less than 100 items.