My husband Tim was right.
I used to bemoan the fact that I couldn’t “get it all done.” Periodically he’d respond with, “Honey, you will never get it all done!”
“Never?” I’d say. “Then why do I keep killing myself?!”
Here we are, years later, with my last two children having graduated from high school 14 years ago, and lo and behold, I still haven’t gotten it all done! See, he was right!
I don’t tell you this to discourage you but to encourage you─to work smarter, not harder.
I am not a naturally organized person. I realized after we started having children that I needed to figure out how to get on top of things, so I began to read books on organization. In one of those books, I read about a high-level executive who went to a time-management guru and complained that he couldn’t get it all done.
The guru said that he would give him advice and wouldn’t charge him. The executive could then pay the guru what he thought his idea was worth. When all was said and done, the executive paid the guru $25,000! That got my attention!
This $25,000 idea was to write down all you had to do, to prioritize it, and then do the most important things first.
You probably still won’t get it all done, but at least you’ve done the most important things.
As I tend to do when confronted with a new idea, I began to look for the reasons it wouldn’t work. “But everything I do is important!” After all, I wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t important!
However, in the same book (which was Freedom from the Tyranny of the Urgent by Charles Hummel, BTW) the author brought up the story of Jesus at Capernaum (Mark 1:21-39). Jesus had a very successful day in Capernaum, healing people and casting out demons. Then the next day, He got up very early in the morning and went to pray. When He came back from time with His Father, the people wanted Him to stay. However, He said He needed to go on to other cities to preach the gospel.
You see, even though there were still needs to be met in Capernaum, Jesus knew that the most important thing for Him to do was the will of His Heavenly Father!
Wow! It made me feel so much better to realize that even Jesus had to choose between important things and the most important things!
You know what? I still struggle with “getting it all done,” but when I focus on accomplishing the most important things first, life just seems to go much more smoothly and peacefully.
Lyndsay, thank you so much for this blog post. I struggle with selecting the most important v. the important priorities too. You blessed me today! Miss you:)
I’m so glad it was helpful! Miss you too!
This is much needed encouragement for me. Thank you! I love you! 🙂
Several years ago, we went to an ADD conference and heard a speaker talk about prioritizing. Those of us who have ADD will prioritize the fun stuff first. 🙂 This speaker recommended making three lists: Must, Need, Want. Systems that use numbers and letters to prioritize leave us with too much latitude to do what we like. Must / Need / Want is pretty clear regarding what is more important. Of course I don’t get it all done, either. And I still choose to do something off the Want list from time to time. At least when I do that, I know it’s a lower priority item!
YES! One of my most effective bosses before I entered the domestic workforce used to keep a yellow legal pad with her at all times. On it, she had a list of things that needed to be done, and it was organized by urgency. Whenever something new came up, it went on the list. She could tell at a glance what she needed to take care of at any point in any given day. (And, I just have to add, that is the most charming and fancy and clean sink full of “dirty” dishes I’ve ever laid eyes on! :))
I enjoyed reading this blog. I prioritize all the time. When I get ‘swamped’ with so many task, I call it the ‘rubics cube of life’; something has to move in order to get another thing done! Have you ever tried to get a rubics cube completely in order? It’s hard to do & I have never been able to succeed. In my life, I do begin with what is the most important at the time. If I have more items of the same importance, I go with my feelings! LOL! I don’t “feel” like getting on a ladder to clean the ceiling fan right now, but I do need to make the homemade jelly; then again, my daughter is waiting for her school assignment…Thanks. Your article was fun & thoughtful!
So true!! Have you been secretly recording my laments? My husband and I have had this conversation so many times over the past 30 years. Wonderful encouragement and reminder for all of us. P.S. LOVE your family pic!
Very thought-provoking. Thanks!