It's been quite a while since I've sat down to write down goals and map out plans to get there. I used to do this thing all the time when I was out of work living in Brooklyn. I would write down all of these details about the things I wanted to do (Bookbinding, Screen Printing, Music, etc). This was the era of David Allen and get things done. Much of that has stayed with me. As I look back, I became something of a productivity automaton. Not very crazy, as I have read about others being, but in my own haphazard way, I was one, too.
Over the past several years there has not been quite the same reflective time, or maybe I have not thought that I needed it. But with my wife consistently telling me that I put too high a premium on work, that I'm not there to meet hers and the families needs, and with me thinking about friendships (or the lack of them) here in Memphis, my continued overweightness, and a few other messy features about myself, I consider that it is time to do some reflecting.
Yet, I know that I will be myself. Brooks, impactfully said, "don't change." She didn't mean don't get better, but she meant don't change those things that are unchangeable about you, the things that if further developed will enable fuller living, and not just for myself.
So, what are the things now? Below I list items that could use some attention:
God (prayer, meditation, bible, reading, groups)
love life (romance, communication, gifting, support/encouragement)
weight (overeating, snacking, junk food)
exercise (cycling, running, gym)
hobby (music, bookbinding, screen printing, electronics, SeedProjX)
service (children's ministry, homeless)
friendship (adventure, hangin', life)
This list is not exhaustive, but it's certainly enough. Should it get any bigger it would be untenable. Interestingly, work is not on here. Maybe it's because I intuitively know that work has taken far too much of a center stage in my existence over the past years. It probably became that way because I lost a job, 2 jobs, by being delinquent. I went full on with investment into work thereafter; fear and anxiety played no small part. That continues to be the case.
Also, interestingly, however is that the list is that of things, to-dos. But I sense that I must make a shift in the way that I look at the things that I want to accomplish, "to do". Perhaps it should be less about the doing of things, and more about the development of the relationships around who I am as a person. We should all develop as people doing things that should be done, whether trivial or of high utility. The "trivial" may indeed be the most important.
I'll finish up with consideration on roles, as roles are embedded in relationships. They are key to relationships; in our roles we are relatable. This is worth further exploration, and I think that I will pay them another visit. For now, I will copy them from David Dirmann's sermon on roles and relationships a few weeks ago:
My roles (Dirmann)
Friend of God
Self (spiritual, emotional, mental, physical)
Husband (we're one)
Dad (1st ministry)
Pastor (God's flock)
Leader (w/ diligence)
Friend (love, laugh, sharpen)
03.01.20 MT Relationships Matter john13:34-35
As Dirmann put it, "your roles form your relationships". He leaves us with action steps to cultivate a life worth living (one that grows):
Action Steps
Write out your roles
Pray for your roles
Steward them
Stay tuned for more.
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