‘Everything but the kitchen sink’. This phrase is over a century old and has meant the same thing since its earliest recorded expressions – everything imaginable, almost everything one can think of, just about everything.
As we enter a transitional season with summer coming to a close and school starting, a new fiscal quarter and changes in the economy, I want to help us focus on the kitchen sink, on ONE thing.
It’s really easy to get consumed with EVERYTHING IMAGINABLE in our world. I’m currently battling this monster. We are in the process of looking for and buying a new vehicle, school is starting up and our oldest is playing football with early morning practices (so figuring out a new schedule), we are discussing a second location for RWOL (so trying to figure out what that looks like), and I am cracking down on studying for my L3 exam which is scheduled for the end of the month, all this plus everything normal.
These things don’t make us any busier than at other times necessarily or more than other people in comparison, but what I’m finding it does do is overloads my mind and I am consumed by 62 ½ things all at once. The planning and dreaming is not physically demanding on my schedule, but it crowds my head space.
I have so many things I want to accomplish, both presently and eventually. I want to write a book, travel and speak, reproduce RWOL, find/train/equip new leaders/coaches, etc. While I think of myself as pretty productive I also know that I’m easily distracted. And I’m finding that this isn’t just with conflicting time in the day and my to-do list or to-dream list. (I have checked my phone, responded to messages, and changed music like 12 times in an hour while writing this.) My mind is a tornado! Can you relate?
Here’s what I know and find most productive: I limit distractions and set boundaries for myself. “I cannot check my phone till I finish ‘A’.” “I won’t take a bite till I complete ‘B’.” “I go somewhere productive or stay somewhere I know I can get things done.” “While I am preparing for the L3 exam, I have a daily task of studying, at least watching 1 video or reading 1 article.” And many of the dreams have to take a back seat while I choose to engage in this studying.
This all reminds me that MANY things are important, but only one thing really matters. And when I choose the MOST important thing, productivity rises and priorities align. Jesus taught Martha this lesson as she was trying to be the ‘hostess with the mostest’ while serving Jesus and his friends in her home. Her sister, Mary, wasn’t helping Martha so she asked for Jesus to scold her, but Jesus rearranged the perspective telling Martha that spending quality time with him was more productive than other seemingly important, even time-sensitive, tasks. (Luke 10:38-42)
So, maybe you’ve been focusing on everything BUT the kitchen sink! Would you consider changing perspective and rearrange your schedule to do as Mary did, and CHOOSE the better! Jesus also said if we will “seek FIRST his kingdom, the things we worry about will take care of themselves!” (Matt 6:33)
#ChooseBetter
#theKitchenSink
#RestoringWholenessOfLife
Brett
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