You try to set priorities, but they never seem to stick. Your to-do list grows by the day, but so few things ever get crossed off. Books go unread. Movies remain unwatched. Your computer's in box overflows with unread email. And those friends you keep wanting to reconnect with? Forget about it.
You feel overwhelmed. You want to change. But where do you start? With time management? Your to-do list?
I have news for you. No matter what you do, you will always have more choices about where to put your time and focus than you have time available. You will NEVER complete your to-do list.
Think about that. You will never be DONE! Now ask yourself one simple question - and realize that the answer to this question will make all the difference in your life.
How does it make you feel to know you will never finish all the things on your list?
You could feel a variety of ways: Confused, depressed, and hopeless... or free, elated and renewed. If you don't like how you feel, are you willing to explore further?
When I realized that I would NEVER complete my to-do list, I felt confused. I have been on this earth for quite a few years. I have definitely been here long enough to work out the issue of TIME management - how to manage it, prioritize it, make it work for me. How is it possible that I can't manage to complete my tasks and make my life simple?
Then I had a blinding flash of the obvious. Who put the items on the list? I did. Who made them important? I did. Are there other things NOT on my list? Of course. So why do I put more things on the list than I can do?
As I sat with that question, an image came to my mind: a beautiful "All You Can Eat" banquet filled with sumptuous treats. Crisp and creative salads, roast beef, salmon, sushi, lamb kabobs, asparagus, French green beans, sweet potatoes, chocolate mousse, berry tarts, lemon meringue pie, butterscotch pudding. And of course, champagne and fine wines. Most anything I can think of is on the buffet, just waiting for me to choose.
Clearly, I cannot eat it all. Even an attempt to taste everything would leave me feeling bloated and not enjoying the experience. Just finding a place to start would overwhelm me. I have a choice. Do I walk outside and look for a hot dog stand instead? Do I insist that someone remove all but a few choices in the banquet?
My deepest desire is to taste and enjoy it all, yet I will be miserable if I try this route. Then the answer became clear. I could feel it in my very soul and celebrate.
Your life is about enjoying the banquet, not time management, not trying to do everything. The abundance of spirit brings you more variety than you can ever taste so you can experience free will. Even bitter choices bring you new experiences. And you may then long for the one thing not on the table: simplicity.
It's all up to you, babe! You get to find the simplicity within yourself. The world is abundant and full of choice. Will you stop for one moment to enjoy the vast abundance that creates your busy-ness? If you can stop now, you may find yourself smiling and giggling as I did. You are getting it! Be grateful. Simplicity isn't out there, isn't it?
