Do you ever feel guilty for taking an undeserved break? Have you ever done something like hang with friends, knowing you had work and assignments waiting for you at home? Do you ever feel like you are running behind because you’ve set so many goals and made so many commitments that even when one is complete, there always seems to be another waiting for your attention? You may have so many ambitions and have a desire to reach them all, but having so many begins to feel like they’re unattainable or uninspiring. As a result, you take more breaks from what you should be doing. Then, you find yourself then right back where you started. So how can you find the drive to go after the goals you want in life, but also live guilt-free, enjoying the breaks you deserve?
In college, you may often find yourself or a friend saying, “take a break; you deserve it.” However, if nothing is completed to show that statement to be true, is it really a deserved break? Ask yourself, “What is my life’s biggest “why”? Mine is to become the person who God created me to be. I know that when I meet God, He will see every inch of the woman He created at inception. When this takes place, it will bring me joy to know that I did what I was supposed to do on earth. Therefore knowing this, I will find true success knowing that everything I did in life always aligned back to my “why”.
I frequently tell my husband the accomplishments I hope to achieve in life, although I’m not always willing to give up anything to make them happen. Many times, I seem to be conveniently tired, not in the mood, and uninspired to do anything besides chill. With work, marriage, and ministry, I always feel I deserve a much needed break. However, when I think back on what I really accomplished during the past week, sometimes I realize it’s actually nothing. Because of this, my New Year’s resolution is to have a changed mind.
For more encouragement on the topic, check out my blog post Understanding the Value of Sacrifice
I knew I would repeat the same habits unless I changed my mind. So I decided to be proactive about it. Every year, I would say that I wanted to lose physical weight, while growing spiritually. Instead of fully committing to this goal, I would often follow the same regimen for defeat. This year, I decided to sacrifice what I needed to, in order to reach my goal. Last Tuesday, I woke up, not necessarily with the mindset to do anything, but I decided to take advantage of the moment. I looked at my clock to see that it was 4:30am, and chose to spend some time with the Lord, in prayer. After doing so, I decided to go to the gym. Later in the day, when I had gotten off of work, I realized I had some free time because I had already gone to the gym. If I wanted to, I could hang out, cook, or write a blog post without the guilt of putting one task above another. This was a small change that could eventually grow into a great work ethic.
You may also like, How do I pick up new habits and force old ones out?
“Live life without guilt.” This is a statement that grabbed my attention instantly, when I first heard it. Last weekend, I listened attentively as Cole, our main speaker, uttered these words. He had the ability to uncover the ambitions and pull on the hearts of everyone in the room. Everyone listened and paid close attention to all he had to teach. You could clearly see his drive and love for what he was doing, which illuminated the room. Everyone hung on his every word, and by the end of it, we were truly captivated. He puts his all into his business and his family and more importantly he had a WHY. His “why” is the reason he can live life guilt-free. He stated that his “for purpose” charities are one of his biggest “whys.” He understood that the gain of capital would put him in the financial position to give back to what he cared about. Therefore, when enjoying the fruits of his labor, there would be no guilt. After looking at all he has accomplished, he is able to take a deserved break and know that for whatever task he completed, he had given it his all.
Do you give your goals your all? I constantly ask God for the ability to persevere and reach the goals I set out to accomplish. I may not admit it, but I am often influenced by today’s society to want to obtain things quickly. Sometimes, I view my desires as being too much work. When I think of all it will take to overcome obstacles, sometimes I can get lazy. Like most people, I want everything, without sacrificing anything. On the other hand, I still want to live a guilt-free life. I’m not necessarily guilty because of any wrongdoing, but I am guilty for not holding myself accountable to get my work done. My job may be my occupation, but my true work is my word, in action. My job financially feeds me, but my word feeds my soul. Some people will remain at a nine to five job, never truly realizing their purpose in life.
“Be careful getting too good at a job you hate, or you will be forced to do it forever.”
Try to apply this quote to yourself, especially if you know where you are in life right now is only temporary. If this describes you, before you decide to flick on the TV or rush to go out because you need a break, ask yourself first, “Do I deserve it?”