In the middle of writing a heated conversation between my current hero and his dad, I realized my MBT blog post was due…several days ago.

Crud.

I hate being a ball-dropper because it feeds my inner critic who demotes my self-worth. Plus, not following through with something creates timeline changes for someone else.

But when I’m on deadline, I seem to struggle with juggling my day job, my writing responsibilities, family, church functions, social media. When this happens, I just want to retreat and crawl back into bed.

My third novel is due to my editor by the end of the month, but I need to turn it in sooner so I’m not writing while on vacation. Who wants to do that?

So as I pondered a topic and whined to the incredible Dr. Reba J. Hoffman, we discussed how sometimes in finding balance, we teeter and drop everything we’re trying to juggle.

Most days I feel like the Cat in The Cat in the Hat, juggling books on my fingertips, a rake holding a fishbowl in my other hand, a cake on my head and a fan with my tail…except I don’t have a tail. Most days, I can juggle my responsibilities. Not always with ease, but I still manage to take care of my obligations.

But then there are days when everything comes crashing down. We’re left with feelings of failure, dented self-worth and pressure to do more, but even better.

So what’s a writer to do?

·         Breathe. When you’re stressed out, put yourself in time-out. Close your eyes and just breathe. It will be okay. Know that you’re not alone. Pray and ask for God’s divine intercession.

·         Prioritize. Once you’re calm, make a list of your responsibilities and prioritize them. Do you have a deadline? Doctor’s appointment? Bake sale? Work function? Instead of focusing on many things at once, focus on your highest priorities, then tick through them one at a time. Or break larger responsibilities down into manageable pieces.

·         Delegate. Once you’ve prioritized your list into what things must be done first, consider delegating some of your simpler tasks to family members and friends. Having extra hands allows you to work on your higher priority items.

·         Lessen your load. When it’s time to start juggling again, pick up fewer balls. By prioritizing and delegating, you should have lessened your load. Focus on one task at a time, then move onto the next one.

·         Forgive yourself. Many times we think we need to be people who can juggle with the best of them and keep that smile in place. We’re afraid if we drop something, then it makes us look bad. We’re afraid of being judged and rejected by peers and colleagues. We’re afraid of not being good enough. Most of the time, those judgments come from our own perceptions and expectations. Each person is different, so trying to keep up with someone else leads to resentment and a sense of failure. Be your own person. Know your limits. Maintain manageable expectations.

Sometimes juggling many roles isn’t an option, but you don’t have to go it alone. And when you do stumble and drop a few balls, dust yourself off and move forward without beating yourself up. Keeping it real allows others to see your transparency. In doing so, you may be ministering to someone going through a similar situation. Be humble at the Throne of Grace and know God is with you always.