by Jeanne Takenaka, @JeanneTakenaka
I’m both exhilarated and intimidated about opening a calendar to a new year. On one hand, I anticipate what the Lord has planned for those 366 squares (Leap Year, anyone?). How will He fill them? What will He teach me? What experiences will He walk our family through? What amazing memories will be made?
On the other hand, all of the to-do’s, the appointments, the battles for my time will tug at my heart, my attention, my passion.
I’ll want to be backside in chair to work on my story and emergencies will demand my all. Boys will insist on chatting just as the great plot twist emerges in my brain.
And, if I’m honest, the fear of rejection will remind me it’s still there, trying to hinder me from walking this writing road.
I want to live this year well. How do I establish the right perspective?
As we enter this new year and new decade, we have choices in how those squares are filled.
As Susan May Warren shared her thoughts on living a value-based life, I was challenged to evaluate how I fill my days.
I’m a do-er. I like checking off accomplished tasks. I may wear the queen’s crown for my skill in juggling all the demands life places on me.
Too often, I don’t take the time to differentiate between what’s urgent and what’s important. As I’ve considered how I want to spend this year, I’m reflecting on what I value. I’m taking a long-term view of how I spend my time.
For those of us who are pre-published it’s not wrong to place writing as a value. Rarely is writing the most important thing in our lives, but it’s a valid pursuit.
It’s not wrong to choose to say no to other things in order to say yes to writing time. It’s okay—even good—to say yes to working out the calling God’s given us to share the words and ideas He’s planted within us.
For those of us who are published and are working on a deadline or working toward another contract, it’s beneficial to put that above certain other activities.
As we begin to write in the squares on those calendars, we need to pray for God’s guidance and perspective on how we fill our days. We need to ask Him to help us discern what’s in our hearts and what we value.
And, sometimes, we need to determine if what we hold as important is what He holds as important for us.
As I step into this year with my husband and boys, I know there will be times when real life must trump writing life. But, I also know it’s okay to hold writing life as important enough to say no to some things.
When we understand our values and line them up with the calling God’s given us, that’s when we have a solid direction on how to fill our calendar squares.
Award-winning aspiring novelist, Jeanne Takenaka, writes contemporary inspirational fiction that tackles real-life issues with a heart to draw women closer to God and those around them. She lives near the mountains in Colorado with her amazing husband and two exuberant boy-men. She loves being God’s girl—always learning about His grace, hanging out with friends and enjoying a great cup of coffee. When she’s not writing you can find her with a camera in her hand, looking for #alittlebitofpretty in her days. You can connect with her on her blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter.