Saying NO
Work is not always required of a man. There is such a thing as sacred idleness, the cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected.
–George MacDonald 1824-1905
I am almost giddy to write this post. In the past few weeks I have been evaluating my current leadership roles and commitments. I have come to one very definite conclusion: I CANNOT DO EVERYTHING.
What’s that you say? Yes, I tried to do everything. This is not news to many of you, but I had to find out for myself, evidently. Time is something that is very precious to me, and I really had a good balance of all things I committed to. But, the balance is changing as my family’s needs are changing, so I am bowing out (or bailing out, in some cases) with hopefully some grace and dignity.
This week our MOPS Leaders’ Devotional was fabulous and spoke on this very topic. It was authored by Bethany Wingo, a MOPS Leadership Development Project Manager. She spoke on our culture’s use of technology and then compared it to our purse size (both of which I can relate):
Our latest fixation is using technology to save time. Consumers are encouraged to pay with credit cards rather than cash so as to save milliseconds in the checkout line. I don’t know about you, but I am feeling overloaded by the use of technology trying to save more of my time. Because as we know, more technology does not create more time, we just find a way to fill our schedules with more on the to-do list. It’s like the “purse size syndrome.” The larger the purse, the more junk that goes in it. The more gadgets to help us save time, the more we end up adding to our over-full lives.
It’s important that as leaders we recognize the “purse size syndrome” in our schedules. The less we do, the better we do it. Leaders have a responsibility to those they lead, and the focus is on quality, not quantity. There is no quick fix technology tool to help us get there. It’s about realizing our limitations and setting boundaries that honor our calling and commitments.
Wow. And, I’m also guilty of not observing that “sacred idleness” I mentioned earlier. I crave busy-ness. I thrive on chaos and schedules and planning out each moment as I want it to happen. As a mom, I’m finding out (slower and slowly-er) that things don’t happen exactly the way they used to, the way I want them to. I am taking on less and giving away more jobs so that I can focus on exactly what I need to. I’m realizing if I fill a role I’m not supposed to fill, it’s not answering the call for leadership, it’s disobedience; I’m keeping someone else from filling the role they should.
This is not to say I will sit at home like a bum and do nothing with the kids all day. I’m cutting back on my responsibilities, not eliminating them. But, before you ask me to serve in any capacity, please know the answer might be NO.
Add comment November 28th, 2007