Focus on the Right Things

One of the things I struggle with each Christmas is the feeling that no matter what I'm doing, I should be doing something else. It's so easy to get pulled in so many different directions at this time of the year. Sunday morning was no different. I was taking stock of all that I needed wanted to do and actually considered skipping church.

I was thinking about how I could use that hour and a half and get some Christmas shopping or even baking done. Then reality hit me. How could I, in good conscious, do that? Never mind that it was 9am and I had been up since 6am without much to show for it. I hightailed it into the shower and got myself ready in time for church.

One of the things that Rick Warren recommended for making time was to focus on one thing at time. When I was considering forgoing church that morning, my mind was racing, thinking about all the things I needed wanted to do. The reality was, there was no way I was going to accomplish all those things in one day. Equally important, there was no reason I needed to accomplish all those things on Sunday either.

Mapping out the next ten days, I realized I had more than enough time to get everything done without becoming overloaded, as long as I remained focus and devised a plan. It's not just focusing on one thing, but it's handling interruptions without being distracted from primary goals. Understanding that helps us to put our focus on the right things, everything else becomes secondary, optional.

Instead of running around like a crazy person, I was able to attend church, enjoy the service and not worry about the things I should be doing. I was where I was supposed to be and it felt so good. Isn't that what Christmas is all about?