DO MORE BETTER - UPDATE

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Back in January, I reviewed Tim Challies's newest book, Do More Better:  A Practical Guide to Productivity. (You can read that review HERE.) In February, after a month of implementing Tim's strategies for increased productivity, I shared some follow-up thoughts on productivity in general, and on how Do More Better was working for me in particular. (You can read the follow-up HERE.)

Now, five months after reading and reviewing Do More Better, I have a few additional comments to make...

For the first time in decades, I feel like I am actually managing to stay pretty much on top of things here at home. I don't check everything off my Todoist list every single day; but every single day, I do knock off some (usually most) of the tasks I need to complete.

What does this mean for me practically? It means, I spend time regularly in Scripture and in prayer. It means, I consistently work on writing projects that I enjoy. It means my bathrooms and floors are cleaned regularly and the laundry stays caught up. It means, the light fixtures in this house have been cleaned for the first time since we moved in over 10 years ago. It means, I don't feel overwhelmed by huge cleaning projects (like kitchen cabinets, windows, etc.), because I tackle those projects a tiny piece at a time, working on them a little each day until one job is complete and I can move on to the next. It means, I don't feel stressed at the thought of someone dropping by for a visit unannounced.

Second, I am spending a lot less mental energy trying to remember what it was I know I was supposed to do...but forgot. I am also spending less mental and emotional energy trying to figure out if I should take on a particular new task or project. It means, I feel much less guilt for things I haven't done - things I should never have added to my ToDo list in the first place - and much more gratitude for the things I am called to do.

And speaking of "calling"...

Early in Do More Better, Tim emphasizes the importance of praying for God's guidance and direction when deciding what things to do, what things to pass on to others, and what things to eliminate altogether. Encouraging good stewardship, Tim challenges readers to frequently consider how best to use our talents, time, and energy to serve others and to glorify God.

This one discipline - prayerfully seeking God's guidance in how to best use my resources of time, energy, talent, etc. - do this frequently (sometimes even daily!) has blessed me more, perhaps, than anything else I gleaned from Tim Challies's book.

How so?

In a peculiar turn of events, just as I began to develop a clearer vision of how I thought God wanted me to use my time, energy, and gifts, several other Really Great Opportunities popped up on my horizon. In the past, I would have really struggled - long and hard - over what to do. Should I accept this job? Should I commit to that ministry opportunity? Thankfully, these decisions have been much easier, much quicker, and much less fraught with second-guessing. I have been conscious of a tremendous weight that I DO NOT have to assume I need to carry.

On a related note, just when I seem to finally be discovering life lived not-so-close to the edge of chaos and utter exhaustion (I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER NOW!), others have noticed my increased energy and productivity, too. A few have responded by apparently assuming that, wow, since Camille isn't completely strung out and on the verge of crashing, she should pick up some of my slack, too!

For the first time in longer than I can remember, I feel perfectly comfortable responding to such notions with, "Ummmmm, nope."

What does this look like for me practically? Like gratitude. Like excitement about the future. And it sounds like a tremendous sigh of relief.