Spread too thin

Spread too thin, it costs more than you think

We all do it.  Take on more and more until we are spread too thin.  Women especially are guilty of this.  We think we can do it all.  But can we?  Can we really do it all?

Sadly, no we cannot.   As we take on more and more responsibility we reach a point where things get missed, time lines slip,  or are only done halfway.

In recent months I have found myself in this particular situation.  With a major move, on top of an unplanned life changing event, intertwined  with a full time job.  In that mix I have been providing financial coaching, running a forum and trying to blog on three separate sites.  All this while maintaining a house inside and out, and  looking out for my elderly parents. Whew, I am lucky I only have three furry felines to worry about instead of  kids.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying my life is busier than anyone else, on the contrary, I know there are those of you out there who are single parents who, on top of much that was mentioned above,  are carting kids to ball games and music lessons.

Face it, we are all busy, and we all think “I can do it all“, but deep down we know  we are just spread too thin.  We get tired and look for short cuts.  Instead of grocery shopping  maybe we  go through the drive through to save time.  It may save time but is costs money, much more than a planned grocery shopping trip.

Spreading ourselves too thin in the long run will cost more money as well as missed quality time with family.

Family units are under attack by the enemy, and one of his schemes is to get us to spread ourselves too thin with all the things of this world.  He does this to get us to take our focus off family time and off worship time.    If you are too busy to spend quality time with the family, how do you find quite time to spend with your Lord in worship?   When was the last time you sat alone, in the quite for 15 minutes and read the Bible and prayed?  When was the last time you prayed with you spouse, your kids, or the family unit as a whole?

Take a look at how long you are spending at work.  Yes, work is important as well as maintaining a job.  It is so easy to get wrapped up in work, spending just an extra 30 minutes or an hour there.  But at what cost to the family unit?   Is that extra hour at work worth running around when you get home to catch up?  Or worse by the time you get home you are so tired from work you just veg on the couch.

Why not sit down, take a deep breath and  look at all you are doing.   Take a look at just two things you could cut out of your busy schedule that would enhance time spent as a family.   Perhaps you take the kids out of dance for a quarter or two, that would be a great opportunity for the family to spend that two or three hours together, preparing dinner together and actually eating together at the table instead of in front of the TV.

Are you spending your time in the right places or are you  spread to thin?