Monday, March 1, 2010

Overcommitting

I set goals for Lent. They were good goals. They were goals that had the possibility of changing lots of things for me. However, I am now thinking that 20 Lenten commitments may have been a little over the top.

I am able to do fine with them if I have hardly any responsibilities. But, if anything comes up that takes up my time, there are a lot of goals that go by the wayside. I feel like a Lenten failure.

This is a good thing to notice because I tend to overcommit and try to do too much in about every area of my life. I see a lot of things that I want to do, and I try and do all of them at once. Then, when I can't handle all that I try and do, I get angry and resentful. And then I feel like quitting.

What I need to do with these goals is continue the habits I have already formed, and then attempt to grow into the rest as I slowly transition toward my goals. Maybe by the end of Lent I will have a perfect week in regard to my goals.

I am not going to get these goals completely fulfilled. Nor am I going to quit because I didn't do everything right. I will keep on trying to meet my Lenten goals, and work many of them into my life after Easter.

2 comments:

  1. Wow, I could relate to this post. So completely and totally relate.

    I only really picked one goal, and I'm having a hard time with it. I can't imagine 20!!

    You go, Clint. You're one ambitious friar!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Overcommitment. You just hit the nail on the head. I'm there. I was so excited today because while I said 'yes' to one thing, I said 'no' to two others! Look at me, I'm growing!

    I feel your frustration and pray for you to learn that small steps forward are still steps forward (I am praying the same for me). People don't like me any more when I'm overcommitted than they do when I'm not and I'm usually a much less grouchy person to be around when I'm not.

    ReplyDelete