If You're A Mom, You're A Track Star- Part 2

Okay so in Part 1 of this series I shared my theory that the life of a mom often feels like a track meet where we are competing in several events and basically running ourselves ragged.  You can see that post HERE

In part 1, we talked about what motivates us to say, "Yes" too much.  Today I would like to talk about how we combat that mindset and live a life that is driven by calling and not by other motivations such as fear of disappointing someone or finding our significance in the wrong place.

The Solution Wearing Ourselves Out in the Track Meet of Life?

1. Combat your motivator head-on.   One of my motivators is that I feel lost when I don't have anything to do so by saying yes to more, I feel my need to be busy and feel significant in that business.  So on Monday instead of editing and cleaning before going to work at my PT job, I cashed in a year and half old massage gift card.  Can I tell you that it took everything in me not to take my computer in case I had to wait?  So my encouragement to you is find your motivator and then actively do the opposite.

2. Seek God in the track meet.  

Ps 27:8- My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
 Your face, Lord, I will seek. 

He is a lot of places-

         *He is the announcer calling you to prepare for the race.

         * He is your shoes- the support you need to run the race, our foundation

         *He is your inhaler to rescue you and give you life when we don’t have what it takes on our own 

         *He is the parent who picks you up at the finish line when you have lost or been hurt in the event

         * He is in the stands, not to just watch but to visit with you when you set your race aside to commune with Him; We can be so busy running every race that we don’t step off the track to enjoy life and hear from God.  Some of my favorite track meet memories didn’t take place on the track but in the field and the stands between the events.

        *He is your coach to say "this is not the race for you" so you don’t find yourself a sprinter signed up for the discus throw or maybe to say that bar is high enough now save yourself for the next event and cheer on your teammates.

3.  Lay down the perception of perfection which causes us to put our resources places other than what matters.  I honestly do this by actively confessing my faults to those around me.  People don't put me on a pedestal because they know me too well.  The good news is, if they know the real me and they stick around, they are worth knowing in return.   

         
4. Eliminate the competition.  I did not say eliminate the competitor, but the competition itself.   Our lives should be lived with one another, not against each other.  We start the comparison curse at an early age and pass it on to our daughters.  Let's put an end to it now and then maybe our kids won't end up as twisted as we are.   Good news, MY significance is not found in YOUR shortcomings.   It is found in who I am in Christ and how I walk out commandments like "love your neighbor."  

5. Determine who the task serves or doesn't serve.  I learned this great little trick at a parenting conference.  When considering a task, evaluate it in light of your key relationships- yourself, your spouse, your kids, and God.   If the task stands to hinder any of those relationships (by taking you away in a key time, etc) or does not help any of them, the answer is simple- Don't Do It!    

6. Get rid of the pizza before the race.  What I mean by that is that we need to get rid of that thing that seems like a good idea at the time but when it comes down to it, it sucks the life out of us when we are pursuing what matters.  This might be something different for all of us but could look like Pinterest, Facebook, baseball, hunting, extra hours at work, or a critical spirit.