How to Discern New Projects!
Last week we jumped into 2020, a new decade, so you know what that means … New Year Resolutions! I am not against New Year Resolutions as the world seems to have become over the past few years. I think resolutions, whether for a new year, new month, new week or even new moment, are important and actually necessary. Resolutions help us set goals, grow & fix our eyes on who we want to be 6 or 12 months down the road. Resolutions are good.
I believe the issue with these New Year Resolutions comes into play when we less than prayerfully decide, “this year is the year I’m going to do it all!” and the resolution becomes a laundry list of all the tasks you will accomplish and new projects you plan to take on. This usually is not accompanied by a thoughtful and realistic plan of how to do all of this well, and more importantly, this long list and mentality of doing it all most likely did not come from spending time consulting God on what He desires for this New Year to look like for us. If we didn’t take this important step, we are bound to fail because our ideas may not be aligned with His will for us. Without prayerful discernment we will never know.
God has a beautiful, incredible, fulfilling plan for each one of our lives, and it is unique based on who He created us to be and the gifts He gave us. Knowing that, it is important to consult Him when considering taking on a new project. A lovely friend of mine, Stacey Sumereau, hosts the Called & Caffeinated Podcast, dedicated to discerning God’s will in different circumstances. We recently recorded an episode together all about this topic of how to discern new projects and avoid overcommitment. You can find it HERE!
Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “the devil will tempt good people with many good things, so that they are doing so many things that they are not doing the one thing that they are called to do well.” When I first heard this, I knew God was speaking right to me. I am one who wants to do ALL the good things because, well, they are good! But when I try to do all the good things, I fail to recognize and focus on those things that God is specifically calling me to. Often we take on too much for fear of missing out on something good. But there is a great joy in missing out, because when we say NO to taking on too much, no to a busy & overcommitted life, no to the thing that is good but we are not called to … we then say YES to something even greater. Yes to God’s will, yes to peace, yes to being present with those we love, yes to family time, yes to rest and so much more.
Discernment looks different in different seasons; we talk about how to prayerfully discern decisions while single and within marriage. We discuss how to create discipline & prioritize the right things. If you are someone who gets tempted by overcommitment, busyness, trying to do it all, or saying yes to every good thing that comes your way, I encourage you to listen to the podcast & begin discerning each new project so that you begin living the way God is calling you to, which will set you on the path to fulfillment and true joy!