Vacation Notes
Dear friends,
I’m fully out of vacation mode after a full day back in the office. I love my job. I love that I come home to projects that are on the board and plates spinning that help people experience hope. I also love that I come back from vacation questioning every part of each project, is this needed? Is this helpful or hurtful? Am I spending time on the wrong parts of this project? What really matters?
I left for vacation in past due mode. I waited too long to take time off because I’m the queen of excuses and there is always a reason why I can’t go. I have found there is no good time to go on vacation. Some vacations are for recovery and recouping. Some are for goal setting and dreaming, some are for adventure, some are for learning. This vacation to me was like hitting the RESET button.
I spent the last 6 weeks breaking all the rules. I didn’t eat right or sleep right. I took every boundary around my time and threw it away for one reason or another. I made sure things advanced in other areas of my life while letting my personal health and life digress. I could see it happening but didn’t feel like I knew how to stop it. So vacation was a need time to stop, reflect, redraw the boundaries and reset.
I slept.
I read. I read the best book I’ve read all year. You’ll probably all hate the book within the next few weeks because it’s all I can talk about. It sucker punched me right in the gut. I laughed out loud every chapter. I put it down because it was too much for me to take in. It challenged my will and direction and choices. There will be so much more on the blog to come from that book. But thank you Jesus for creating Jen Hatmaker.
I beached.
I pooled.
I spent more hours in the water that on land.
I didn’t check my email or talk to many people.
I literally prayed “Lord show me where I suck. Heal my body and change my mind. I don’t need to be all things. I need to be one thing. Show me who I need to be.” I had to deliberately pray it because as I pray it I want to fight it. I want to be all things to all people. I like being needed. But I just can’t. It’s not a good use of the one life He gave me to live. It’s not sustainable. It’s like running a marathon when you can barely run to the mailbox and back without getting winded.
I love people and projects but I needed time to realign my mind and heart to the purpose and plan God has for me. And guess what— I did not come home with a pile full of answers. I did not come home with a plan to totally change my life, because I don’t think that’s what I needed. But I did come home a little more willing to rest, a little more resolved to say no, a little more focused to find what matters, a little more challenged to find the right answers for how to do my job the best it can be done, a little more excited to dig into an intentional life vs letting life happen.
I don’t know where your life has you. Maybe you’re overwhelmed, maybe your underwhelmed. Maybe you need a vacation. So today – take a 15 min mental vacation. Sit quietly with a cup of your choice and just breathe. Breathe in the promise that you were created on purpose with a purpose. Then position yourself to lean into that.
This is my current view…because,
today – I’m positioning myself by working on the deck, breathing in the crisp rainy air and getting my mind and time organized.
I’m excited to start using the app Toggl to track time spent on different projects and events at work.
I’m counting down until September first so I can order this planner.
And I’m going to say no to 3 things today.
Happy Wednesday friends,
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Jody,
Thank you so much for this article on “resetting”. This hit home for me as I do have a tendency to keep going and putting off “me” time as I am afraid of what might happen if I do.
Cody
Jody – Thank you for sharing your words today, I needed to hear them. I struggle every single day with “my worth is not determined by things that I do”. The concept alone is so hard for me to wrap my mind around. I say yes even when I don’t want to because I don’t want to let anyone down. I pride myself with having the “answers” when asked. A lot of pressure comes with both of those things. I find that I sit in the quiet more in the past year but it’s not because I’m meditating or at peace. I am absolutely spent – emotionally, intellectually, spiritually and physically. I spoke with a counselor in the past year for an extended period and his advice was to get away alone and allow myself to “reset”. Like you I have had every excuse as to why I can’t, why it’s not a good time. Your blog gives me hope. You are an amazing woman and you inspire me and so many others.
Michelle! I love you lady! So grateful for how you model learning to walk through this! I read once that it’s best to
“so no out of strength instead of yes out of weakness” and it has been a huge challenge! I’m far from getting it but closer each day!