Sometimes I get really frustrated with where I am in life. I have dreams and goals that I haven’t even started, yet. I have many unfinished projects. I am often easily distracted. I get deep into one project and an idea crosses my mind and I start working on it. I end up with 14 unfinished projects. Hopefully I’m not the only one who deals with this. The frustration of the un-realized goals and multiple unfinished projects sometimes weigh me down to where I don’t feel like doing anything. Sometimes I find myself with so many things to do that I don’t know what to do.
Sometimes God speaks to us in strange ways.
This week has been one of those weeks. I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed by the growing list of un-finished projects and commitments that I’ve made. Looking at the list, it really isn’t that bad, but when I think about it too much, it begins to feel like I’ll never get it all done. I’ve been praying about it and last night several things just kind of came together for me.
I’ve been working with my kids this week on “work ethic”, working hard to do well at what we do, whether it is school, dance, swim, or mowing the lawn. This seems to be something missing today… a good work ethic. It has been a particularly challenging week with the complaining and grumbling. “All we do is work. We never get to play” they say from the swing set. Our work ethic shows in everything we do and it is a character trait that will follow us our entire life.
I’ve been reading a lot this week. One of the common threads in all that I’ve been reading is to develop a good work ethic. Growing up, I felt like my kids do… it seemed that all I did was work. I developed a good work ethic and was always willing to do whatever it took to get a task done right and on time. I would spend sleepless nights and my own money on projects if that is what it took to get it done right. Somewhere along the line I have lost some of that. I often find myself looking for the easiest way to just get it done. Perhaps it is the growing list of unfinished projects. Perhaps it is being burned out in certain areas. Or maybe it is just plain laziness and selfishness creeping into my life. Whatever the case, my own work ethic is slipping. I have been praying about this a lot the last few days.
Enter the Gorilla
Last night I had a dream. I don’t really dream that much, or at least I don’t tend to remember them. In the dream, there was a rather large gorilla looking creature in the house. It was a rather frightening creature. It was chasing us and destroying our house. I was able to get the family together and out of the house. We all escaped out to the van and I fumbled around and found the keys and drove off just in time. There was a lot more to it, but that is the short version. In short, I was willing to do whatever it took to take care of my family.
As I woke up this morning, I was thinking about this and all the events and readings of the week. Perhaps what I need is to take some of my own advice I’ve been giving to the kids and set the example for them. Focus on the goal and complete the tasks. Do whatever it takes to get things done and done well. Yesterday I was thinking that I spend 8-10 hours a day at my job. I get to see my family for about 3-4 hours before they go to bed. Surely I can invest 3-4 hours a day or more into reaching some of my own dreams and goals and completing a few of these projects that have been hanging on my unfinished project list for awhile… my giant gorilla.
So this week I start a new schedule. Staying up a little later. Focusing on some specific tasks. Getting things off my unfinished projects list. Living my life every day. Setting a daily activity goal to complete these tasks. I’m looking forward to seeing what I’m able to get done over the next month or two. What are some of your “giant gorillas”?
