Why You (and I) Need To Stop Juggling And Find Focus

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If you drew a picture depicting your life today, what would it be? Imagine a blank sheet of paper laying before you with a box of markers next to it. (Go ahead and grab your supplies now and take a minute to do this exercise.) Draw a picture representing the state of your soul, something that represents where you are today. Don’t think too much, just draw. What’s in your picture? Is it calm or hectic? Hopeful or anxious? Focused or full of questions?

Not too long ago, doing this exercise as part of a discernment process, I drew a picture of a juggler trying to keep eight or nine balls in the air. The juggler was slightly off-balance and juggling balls of different shapes and sizes. As I drew the picture, I thought I was keeping up with everything in my life pretty well. After all, I hadn’t dropped any of the balls (yet). I was juggling them all fairly successfully and I thought I was really beginning to make progress toward where God was calling me.

You Need To Stop Juggling and Find Focus

Where was my focus? Which ball had the priority? How could I possibly give each the focus and attention they deserved? All the balls were good things, though. Each were components of the dream God’s laid on my heart. Yet, there were so many of them… So many in start-up mode… So many that require an abundance of energy and focus… So many that I’m not yet mastering… So, so many…

The problem with juggling is that you can’t move forward when all your focus is keeping the balls in the air.

We need to stop juggling and find FOCUS – God’s focus for our life in our current season.

Focus on the lesser priorities will keep you from focusing on the more important priorities

I was spreading myself too thin and putting energy and focus into areas that weren’t critical for this moment, this place in my journey. Not that they weren’t good things or even areas that will bear fruit in the future, but they weren’t my top priority right now. I found that I was pulling time, energy, and focus away from the most critical tasks to chase after something new that wasn’t where God wanted me to focus.

Sometimes we need to say “no” to good things, in order to focus on the best things.

While God does provide in magnificent ways, He also works within our realities

I want to live into God’s plans for my life. I feel like I’m on a path toward His possible and His plans for my life. However, there are moments when it just doesn’t seem to fit into the realities of my life. He’s called me into writing and into this blog, yet I still work a full-time job to support my family. That makes for some long days and very early hours to squeeze in writing before I go to work.

I feel God pressing me forward, yet even He can’t give me more hours in the day. The reality is that right now I have a job (and one He specifically gifted to me). The reality is that job supports my family. The reality is I have a family who needs me. The reality is I need sleep (probably more than I get) to function at my best.

Where are the realities in your life? Are you living within those realities or trying to extend yourself beyond them? Ask God to show you those realities and show you how to work within them. Your current realities won’t always be there. Seasons change and God moves. He may move you into new realities, but the life He’s asking you to lead right now will fall within your current reality.

Finding focus for your current season will help you live within your realities, until God makes His next move.

Prioritization, perseverance, and patience are the keys to reaching God’s possible in your life

If you want to move toward where God’s calling you – toward His dreams and possibilities for your life – you need three essentials: prioritization, perseverance, and patience.

The first thing you need is to prioritize the balls you’re juggling. God and family need to come first. Then, look at the others and give them a priority. Maybe there are some that need to be sequenced, one that becomes a building block for something else. Focus on those first steps, the essentials to build the foundation.

Second, persevere with the realization that following God’s call is a marathon, not a sprint. You must persevere through seasons of the unknown as you wait for God to make the next step clear. You must persevere through seasons of change, where the steps are difficult, the hours may be long, the decisions difficult, and the path ahead full of twists and turns. You must persevere through seasons of doubt, when you question why you’re on this path, whether God’s really calling you in this direction, whether you really want to keep saying “yes.” Persevere! Keep putting one step in front of the other. Stay in prayer and listen for God’s direction.

Third, be patient. God doesn’t move according to our timelines. He often has a very different view on change and timing. Trust that He does have a plan for your life. Believe that you can reach His possible for your life. Be patient and let Him lead you there, according to His way, in His time, and to His glory.

Perhaps all of these balls will eventually be part of my life, but each in its own season

So, what did I do with this picture of the juggler? I prayed… a lot. Then I took a hard look at the balls I was juggling and set priorities. I saw that one was building a foundation for several others. So, I gave that one the priority and agreed to set the others down {for now}. I didn’t abandon them, but they’re not getting my focus and energy. As opportunities arise in those areas, I’m going to be prayerful about whether it’s the right time to say yes or not. In the meantime, I’m putting my focus into one main area and building the foundation.

What balls are you juggling? Make a list and ask God to show you which ones are the priority right now. Can you see which ball is your priority in this time, in this season? Are there any you need to drop – for now or for good?

Prioritize the pieces of your life, persevere toward God’s vision, and have patience, trusting that God will lead you through to His possible.