I was texting with my oldest son Michael last week and I asked him to do something. I cracked up at his response (a scene from Avengers Endgame):
Boundaries
His response was so funny to me because saying “No” was my biggest lesson from 2019. It’s interesting…I have no problem saying no to many things. When it comes to personal (family and ministry) things though, I definitely spread myself too thinly last year. By November, I was EXHAUSTED. As I reflected back on the year, I made the decision that I needed to set firmer boundaries in those areas. As I often say when I mentor other women, “Jesus did everything well but He didn’t do everything!” (Teacher, teach thyself.)
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like once I’ve made a decision about something, then it’s done and the issue is over. Wrong! The decision is one thing but living it out daily is entirely different. For instance, I did not do a great job with boundaries last week – both in my personal and work life! I recovered quickly though.
One (of only a few) downsides to working from home is that everyone close to you knows that you are home during the day. As a result, people sometimes think that you are free to talk or do things during work hours. In the past, I have been very deliberate about letting folks know when I was or was not available. I just have to get back to that. Now, I respond to things before I start work, during scheduled breaks or after work. It’s a small thing but it helps me to be much more focused and productive.
Like most moms, I juggle many roles. The only way that I’m going to do all of them well is to focus on one ball at a time. It will require strong boundaries to do so!
What were your biggest lessons of 2019?