Women’s Devotional: Achieve Purposeful Balance and Overcome a Cluttered Calendar

Author: Jodi Detrick

This week I had the privilege to speak at the Snoqualmie Valley Moms gathering on how to: “Achieve Purposeful Balance and Overcome a Cluttered Calendar.”

It couldn’t fit better with our current series on balance so I want to share my notes with you in today’s blog.

As women, we often major in giving, accommodation, patience, sacrifice, waiting, and selflessness. These are beautiful and endearing qualities we should each strive for. But when we lose ourselves in a lifetime of being all things to all people, we are no use to anyone. Our once vivid imaginations of a life of adventure, romance, meaning and purpose can turn into one long to-do list that can never be achieved. If you have heard yourself ask: “Is this really all there is?” Or “Who am I” this blog is for you.

Balance is a simple choice of priorities.

We can’t get where we are going unless we first admit where we are.

In the book, “A Weekend to Change your Life” Joan Anderson says: Life is, after all, simply a response.

How are you responding to life?

• Living by your to-do lists and ping of your smart phone calendar
• Dreams, goals and calling
• The phrase that best describe many of us: “Doing the same thing and expecting different results.” This is the definition of insanity.

Today, we are going to take the steps to get un-stuck. The following calendar exercise will take 15-30 minutes. You can do it alone, with a friend or in a small group. I believe, sharing your experience will add the most value. In a group setting, we share stories, and can reflect on solutions. We realize we are not alone. General directions for the exercise are below.

Angela’s additional thoughts about the Cluttered Calendar Exercise:

• If you can’t remember the last year, pull out your calendar or smartphone and write out the last 10 days.
• It is normal to have events that are both exhausting and invigorating at the same time. Use what I call the “drain meter” to tell if you need to recalibrate these events next time they land on your calendar. Zero being most exhausting and ten being most invigorating.
• Check and recheck your motivation for every event on your calendar. Does it stem from a need to achieve, people please, or an unhealthy habit of comparison? Or is it something you truly love and want to make a priority?
• Uncluttering your calendar does not always mean getting rid of all things exhausting. The things we are most passionate about may take grit and perseverance to achieve. For example: Running a marathon is exhausting but also invigorating and worth while.
• The goal is for you to rule your calendar instead of it ruling you. Awareness that you are making a conscience choice is the key to a healthy and balanced calendar.