I am always trying to get ahead. Always aiming to get ahead of all the things, or at least as many as I can. My to do list can easily shift from being a tool to help manage my time, to being an overlord in my life. I’m totally that person that loves to check stuff off, and it’s possible, it’s a problem. Part of my energy to get ahead is in effort to be prepared for the moments when I won’t be able to get ahead. Think of it as a storehouse. If I can get enough done, then I’ll be ready when other things hit the fan.
Consistently walking in this mentality creates problems. One, it is kinda delusional, and two, there are some things that have zero benefit from getting ahead. There are certain things that aren’t meant to be checked off, some things are healthiest when allowed to be a part of a rhythm of life, versus something to be completed.
If I clean the house five days in a row, that doesn’t mean I won’t need to clean for the next five weeks.
If I show up at the track a day early and race across the finish line, did I win?
Pacing is real, and something we rarely take the time to consider.
Certain personalities, personalities similar to mine, can get fixated on the goal so much we miss the training, we miss the rhythm. We want to get things done, and that has it’s place, but if you are like me, you need to be reminded from time to time that some facets of your life and your disciplines are meant to be more of a cadence, a habit. Somethings are more about the journey than getting something “done.” I think that is why things that are supposed to be life long consistent healthy things have always been a struggle for me. If I could eat healthy one week, and then get time off, I would sign up for that. If I could practice an instrument for a certain number of hours, not approach it again for years and then just hop on stage for a concert, that would be great! If friendships were built on one conversation, and required no checking in or support in any other way, we would all have a million friends. Maybe if I would water plants when they need watering, with the correct amount of watering, my plants wouldn’t die. But I kill every plant I bring home, even cactus, cause at some point, I get irritated with the check-ins, pruning, soil moisture stuff, and I just water it “for the week” and walk away. 🤷🏻♀️
Getting things done is not the struggle for me, but releasing myself to do things with a patient pace, that’s my battle.
How often do you evaluate the pace of your life? What are some things that you treat as “one and done” that really need to become habits? When you do a new thing for three-ish days, are you already telling the world this is “what you do now,” when you honestly know in the past, the next week you’ll be way less in to that new thing? This can so be me.
When the Bible talks about patience, forbearance, long suffering, bearing burdens, don’t grow weary…these terms not only apply to huge moments and enduring big difficult deals but also those little things, those things we get tired of doing week after week or day after day, those things that most likely will never be “done,” but are part of the rhythm of a life well lived.
What healthy habit do you struggle to maintain? Are their pockets in your life that are honestly just something you will need to do forever, but you aim more for the quick fix? Where are you trying to get ahead when you really just need to learn to set the pace?