What I’ve Learned About Busy Seasons

Let me start off by saying this:  I don’t hate most busy seasons.  I often willingly make choices that create busy seasons.  I like the sense of accomplishing something, of being part of something big.  When it is wonderful, I’m grateful that I’m busy with fun and meaningful things.  But sometimes busy seasons turn into busy “norms” and it creates a pace I can’t sustain forever.  So I’ve reflected on busy seasons – and what it means to live out a desire to go full steam for as long as I can.

What have I learned?  How do I do this?  What do I still have to learn?

1. Learning to distinguish the truly urgent and the truly important is essential. 
2. I have to manage my energy – not just my time.  Just because there are hours left in the day does not mean I should say “yes”.  And just because I say “no” it doesn’t mean that I am letting someone down.
3. I’m an introvert.  I have to remember that and realize that introversion requires some schedule adjustments in order to stay healthy in the long run.
4. I can’t sustain busy seasons for as long as I used to without a break.  Instead of months or years, I have to think in terms of weeks or maybe months – and then make sure there’s some down time scheduled.   I don’t need a lot of recovery time, but I need a bit more than I used to.
5. When I am busy and tired, I acutely feel the loneliness of not having a spouse/companion in this.  No one at home to help shoulder the load or pick up the slack – from the little things like replacing burned out light bulbs to the big projects. 
6. I have to choose to not get stuck there (in #5) or let the enemy get a foothold in that.  It’s a symptom of deep tiredness and the truth is I’ve been called to a rich and full life of following Jesus, whether I have a companion in it or not. 
7. I’ve had to develop a greater willingness to ask for help and to accept offers of help.  Trying to be self-sufficient is never a good idea but during busy seasons it will drain me even more.
8. I need to give myself permission to not do everything – whether it’s posting a weekly blog or entertaining people who are staying at the house or getting the guest room painted.
9. I have to let go of more non-essentials than I do during non-busy seasons.  During busy seasons, the house may be a bit dirtier when guests arrive.  We may order pizza for dinner rather than cooking the meal I’d love to cook.  Homemade cookies get made less often.  I know these things don’t really matter in the big picture – but I do miss being able to do them. 
10. This one is the biggest change from ten years ago. When originally written, I had recently re-entered the full-time work force after 20+ years of being a stay at home mom and church volunteer. This is no longer an issue for me, in large part because my job has evolved in ways that do provide me with a great deal of flexibility. Realizing that there are things I no longer have time to do can make me discontent with the reality of having to work full time.  I struggle with that from time to time – and the enemy tries to get a foothold here as well.  I miss the flexibility I used to have, and yet I’m grateful that I get to do something I love.  And even if I didn’t love it, I can still choose to not let my circumstances define my happiness. 
11. Letting go of things like cooking for guests and having homemade cookies around for them can become a test of where I find my identity. 
12. I lay down my pride and I don’t fret over the fact that I didn’t know the guest bath tub drained slowly.  There was a time when I would have beat myself up for missing that detail.  Now I’m just grateful that a guest told me – and took care of it for me.
13. The toll that loss of sleep, stress eating or lack of exercise takes is exaggerated compared to the effect years ago.  I have to find ways to maintain healthy routines even in busy seasons. 
14. The One who calls me to this is so much more important than what keeps me busy (even if it is “ministry”).  If I’m in this for the long haul, I need to make sure my “to do” list doesn’t take over.  I have a tendency to ask more of myself than He asks.  So I need to keep looking in His eyes and listening to His voice and taking my cues from Him.

When I wrote this, there was a light at the end of the tunnel at the moment – a few days without full day events needing my attention.  I was ready for the break, but I was also already looking forward to the next busy season.  There were exciting things ahead that I g0t to be part of.