Too Many Irons!

Sometimes Life Gets Too Stinking Busy!

Evaluating my project success ratio and busy schedule forces me to analyze everything that I have taken ownership of and ask…

Do I need to be the one to do this?

Why? Because my schedule is Insanely Busy! This does not make time fly. Nor is it the best use of my productivity or energy. I know I am not at my best when life gets crammed with busy work. It may be very important work, but still, when you have too many irons in the fire and you can only work them one at a time, well, they stay red hot way too long!

It’s my fault. I’m to blame!

Too many irons in the fire only make for a great big conflagration! It takes fuel to heat up the irons. It takes energy to keep the brands ready.

Where does our fueling come from?

Perhaps it’s as simple as a good meal, quiet time, decent night sleep, pleasant conversation with a friend or loved one, and probably the right kind of soul nourishment to make the day productive. But the thought of waking each morning to my monster task list often keeps me distracted and procrastination sets in. Deadlines are missed. Projects slip. People get upset and disappointed.

It’s all my fault. I’m to blame.

You need to find a way to make non-busy time so you can restore yourself! It may begin with your physical needs, but more than likely it starts with your mental needs!

“The greatest enemy of good thinking is busyness.”  ~John C. Maxwell, (The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization)

I’ve penned words like this too many times, all the while knowing that the solution to my dilemma is in my own hand. The control exists, I only have to exert it. I yearn to simply end out a day, week or month, and regroup, retask and reorder my world.

“I’m at the end of a busy work week,
and preparing for next week with all its demands.
If you could only sit on the porch and enjoy the coolness, flowers, sprinkler noises, and the birds, would it be your moment of recouping your quiet.
Simply enjoying the beauty of the homestead, even with the grass that is not perfect and some trees that need some attention, and those pesky weeks keep showing their aggressiveness,
but the promise of quiet refuels the soul!”

Here’s my thought today. Quiet and joyful rest should be a requirement at the end of the day. Unload and unwind. No rehashing, or rethinking. Just chill… Don’t turn to your electronics, or that seldom read local newspaper (if you still subscribe), instead, just simply sit, and unwind. Unload the shoulders, the mind, and your spirit. Let that backbone lose some of its rigidity. Slowly. Breathe deeply. Hold it. Now let it out. Okay. Don’t you feel better? You are starting your path to joyful rest.

Winding down the day so that rest comes easy is paramount. It’s what helps you wake refreshed and can help you face the next day’s trials!

The morning will come soon enough. Silence will be shattered by the clambering of tasks, like the dinner bell that calls you to the table. Busy enough will be the morrow. Simply enjoy the quiet while you can.

My reality is that my mind will not shut down and I keep adding “stuff” to my “to do” list. It’s almost like I need a personal assistant to push these things over to, let it get reorganized, and put back into some semblance of order and priority! Maybe I need someone to help me organize my day, and keep me focused!

Then, and only then, maybe I can face the ending of the day with a quiet savor of lovely moments!

I have an uncle who writes poetry and published them frequently, and I find comfort and peace when reading through his thoughts. I love to turn to scripture and find something that refreshes my mind and prepares me for the next busy season.

This is one of my favorite psalms of David, and I can imagine him, as a shepherd, replicating to his charges what God is doing for him.

A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.   
(Psalms 23:1-6 ESV)

Read between the lines! The Shepherd at hand for supplying our needs and protecting us from danger. The Green Pastures abound all around me. Still waters nearby to refresh my soul. I feel Soul restoration beginning. I’m following the shepherd down pathways of right living. Rod and staff of comfort even though the valley is deep and dark. Table prepared to prove to my enemies of the shepherd’s care and concerns. Anointed head. Overflowing cup. Goodness. Mercy. In God’s house.

Do you have a scripture or poem for the quiet closure and slow start of your day?

Audio Version: Listen to “Episode 187 – Too Many Irons!” on Spreaker.