Cutting Back

John 15:2

"Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit."

It’s another year, a chance to start a fresh, a second, third, fourth may be the nth chance for some of us, nevertheless, it’s another chance. The real question is ‘What do I do with this chance?’

Before you and me is an entire 12 months, 52 weeks and 365 days. What can we do to maximize on the time allotted to us?

Many people add to their schedules. When it’s down to work, the job description is enlarged, resolutions the more you have the more there is to accomplish, the more occupied you are the better it is for you. The bigger your life appears the more promising the future is.

The bigger your life appears the more promising the future is.

But who said that in order to be effective you need to be surrounded with things to do? Stop for a moment and think about that.

As you cram up your schedule, think about how much time you are dedicating to unnecessary stuff.

Why Do You Do What You Do?

The truth is, we live in a culture that celebrates busy-ness. The less available you are, the more superior and important you look to the world.

So why do we live for things that don’t matter or add to our lives in any way? I believe it's because we don't pause to take inventory of our lives. We think that quantity is what sells, yet it's quality that counts.

Cut back to cut out the unnecessary

I dare you and me to break this cycle and do the reverse this year. I dare us to cut back on our programs, I dare us to go over our schedules once again and see what needs to be retained and what needs to be discarded or put aside for a later time.

It's said that crisis opens our eyes to see what we need and don't need. But we don't need a crisis to happen for us to know what's worth keeping.

If you haven’t achieved some of the resolutions you had set last year, don’t bother setting new ones instead start by finding out why you were unable to achieve the previous resolutions, if it’s your budget find out what's priority and what can wait.

I know this isn’t new for you but how many of us actually do it? I'm convinced that when we downsize our programs we stand to be more effective and precise with what we do.

Just like the verse before us says, the branch that bears fruit is pruned so that it may bear more fruit. Similarly in life, to become more efficient, productive, accurate, and proficient, you need to cut back on the unnecessary stuff and zero-in on what matters most.

Life's Short

I invite every single one of you (me included) to look ardently at different aspects of our lives e.g. family, work, school and in each aspect prioritize.

Life isn't long enough to do everything there is to be done, each one of us only has enough time to do what they were called to do.

Take a more lean approach to your life and I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the results.

For some of us I’m sure our health will improve, for others they’ll stop being irritable, and others will be happier and more content.

The key to a more fulfilled and full life is not a bigger life in terms of having more to do (just get rid of that kind of thinking) rather it's a simple and straightforward life that comes as a result of cutting back.

So for this year don't burden yourself instead, take up a lighter load that will enable you to be better in every sense of the word than you ever could with more in your to-do list.