things I don't do

Through listening to a sermon by Shauna Niequist, I have recently discovered that I kind of want to be better at everything which I am learning is an addiction that often times results in an exhausting pursuit in being excellent at nothing.  As I pursue health this year, it is time to simplify my lifestyle and streamline my energy.

The mark of a healthy life is having the vision and priorities to know what is important during the current season and then the ability to live out those priorities in the dailiness of life.  In this light, more than maximizing my metabolism, I can also increase my energy by deciding what is worth my time and energy so I can give my best to those pursuits.

We need to prioritize.

Beacuse we can't do it all.

Shauna Neiquist taught me to make two lists: things I do and things I don't do.

While it was easy to come up with a list of things I do, it was hard to figure out what I was willing to give up in order to create the time, money, and energy to pursue the things I really care about.

While some of these ideas were no-brainers, others required a deeper digging as they were a struggle to recognize and then admit.  But truth sets us free.  And the reality is that we can't do everything.

things I do:
family time- daily supper, Wednesday worship, bedtime stories
pick up my home before bedtime in attempts to keep it a place of order, peace, and rest
host and mentor
give gifts
blog once a week
cloth diaper
nurse
sleep when I can
buy healthy foods
family walks

things I don't do:
work out at the gym (as promised, I very recently canceled my gym membership to enjoy outdoor exercise)
stay late at work (I honor contracted hours and fit my tasks within that time)
clean my house (while I do pick up each day, tasks like floors, windows, and shower cleaning have taken a back burner)
cook nightly meals (pre-made freezer meals have been my saving grace while working full time) 
keep my phone with me (I set it on the dock when I get home and rarely look at it)
invest in my family's wardrobe (keeping up with the Jones's and latest trends is too hard)
rigid "quiet times"(my moments with Jesus have taken a new spin since motherhood, and although they look different than before they are infinitely more intimate and precious and spontaneous and constant)
serve at church (while still looking for our niche, I am temporarily embracing a transitional season in which work and family are extremely consuming) 

Because time, money, and energy are finite, many of these kind of cancel each other out.  To illustrate:
I don't keep my phone on me when I am home so I can have quality family time
I don't take time to clean often so I can read bedtime stories to Eden
I don't spend money on new clothes so I can spend it on healthy foods

I will warn you that with this revelation comes a trap that I pray you won't fall into: DO NOT COMPARE.  I personally slipped into this comparative thinking for awhile after initially listening to Shauna's teaching as I struggled with the guilt of not sharing some of her same convictions.  As I shared in my pregnancy experience, no good comes from comparing.  For some they need a consistent rigid time with Jesus or they find great joy in dressing their family and can afford to or their phone is a healthy source of connection!  This is MY list of MY convictions during this season of MY life.  It is an ongoing list for me and it is something I am constantly reevaluating as I discover what is worth my time and energy during each unique period of life.

Your list WILL look entirely different than mine and not only is that ok, it is good.

In the same way I have recently given myself permission to spend time and money on health, I am now giving myself permission to let go of some areas I would like to invest in so that I can streamline my energy for what really matters.  It is hard, but it is possible.  It is a discipline to stay focused on sowing seeds that will produce the kind of fruit we seek.