Holding space for your people in the midst of the to-do lists
As I think back over the past week, do you know what stands out in my mind? Not the amount of tasks I crossed off of my to-do list. Not how clean my house is or isn’t. Not the meetings or steps taken towards my goals. What stands out most is the moments with friends and family.
So much of my time and energy is spent on the “not” list. I could have easily let the opportunities for connection slip by under the guise of being too busy. Honestly, I almost did at times and I know there were other opportunities missed. It is far too easy for me to slip into task mode and take my eyes off of what is really important around me.
I always know when there is a change stirring and a message I need to pay attention to when I see and hear it from all around me. Next year’s MOPS theme is “To The Full” with one of the elements of the theme being “Find your people.” The water bottle I received in my MomCon welcome bag? Purple with “Find your people” on it. It sits next to me throughout the day with that little reminder. I listen to podcast after podcast in my subscription list that talks about finding your people, building community and getting real with them. My inbox seems full of this message too.
At this time of year, when I am digging into goal setting for next year and working on completing projects this year before the Christmas season, this message is needed all the more. I sit in the tension of achievement and simply being, goals and connection, living fully in my purpose and making sure my people are fully part of that purpose too.
It is another case of both/and not either/or. I don’t need to choose between feeling on top of what I need to do and holding space for family and friends. I do need to be intentional in carving out the time and making plans to connect. I do need to hold my plans loosely so that I can be interrupted by that phone call or text when a friend needs to talk. I do need to use wisdom to know what is a priority in that moment. I do need to use the time set aside for the to-dos and projects to their full capacity so that I’m not tempted to steal the connection time.
I am reminding myself of these truths once more. Maybe you need that reminder too.
If you missed last week’s post, the 2019 Advent planner has launched! This is a completely free tool for you to get intentional with what your Christmas season will include so that your people are not lost in the muddle.
