FIGURE
As I write this editorial, we have just entered a new year. Despite my best intentions and last year's resolutions, I'm starting the year with what seems like no less than 10 priority projects on my desk: two grant proposals to complete, a new course to develop on-line, another issue of Gastroenterology Nursing to finalize, three research presentations to prepare, tenure goal statements to write. . . and that's just my career responsibilities. Home and church aren't even on the list!
My usual coping strategy is to gritch and groan and I've certainly started the year with that (grimace). A quote I came across this week in a study entitled The Intentional Woman 2002, however, stopped me in my tracks. The quote is: "Use the past as a springboard, not as a sofa." I found this to be a profound statement. I do tend to want to use the past as a sofa! How about you?
When I begin to feel stressed and burned out, I run through a list of all I've done that in my estimation merits recognition. "Is it ever enough?" I ask. "Isn't there some point when I can relax and enjoy the contributions I've already made in life? Can't someone else help? I just want to quit all of this busyness and do nothing!" I'm wanting to sit on the sofa . . . and sit and sit! Can you relate?
I definitely struggle with the balance in my life. I'm either pushing myself to be superwoman or wanting to pull out of my many obligations and responsibilities completely. But neither is the right approach. I am learning I have certain talents, gifts, personality traits, and abilities that are to be used to fulfill my life purpose, a purpose unique to me. And my life purpose doesn't fit anyone else. I think periodically identifying those special qualities is a key to helping me stay focused and balanced in life: physically, socially, spiritually, and professionally.
Could you benefit from a bit of focus this year? Try this. Write down three talents (abilities) you clearly have. Now ask a close colleague or friend to tell you what three abilities come to their mind when they think of you. Look at your list and see if the talents you identified match anything on their list. Ask your colleague to share with you why he or she identified those specific talents. You may even feel brave enough to share the three talents you listed with your colleague to get their response to your perceptions of yourself.
Next, begin to look at ways you can use and develop these talents in all your spheres of influence during 2004. Perhaps all are useful in every aspect of your life. Or maybe one or two would work well in your professional arena, but another is clearly most beneficial in your family or spiritual arena. Make a commitment to run every opportunity or decision for the next few months through a filter of those talents. Will this opportunity develop this talent, use this talent, or expose this talent? If not, perhaps this isn't the right time to say yes to this opportunity.
Some of you, I know, have more than three talents you really excel at. You could ask colleagues all day long to give you a list of three and each one would pick something different. You, too, can benefit from narrowing your focus. Try to identify just three of your many talents that you would be willing to focus on for the next three to six months. Then limit your affirmative response to opportunities that come your way to only those clearly linked to these three talents. At the end of the set time period, reassess where you are. Are you ready to now focus on capitalizing on three more of your talents, or do you want to stick with the original three for a longer period of time?
Learning to focus and balance life is an important goal. We live in a country where opportunities and resources are abundant. It is difficult to know how to use our talents fully and most effectively when so many choices exist. I encourage you to take the time to stop, "sit on the sofa," and identify the strengths you see based on your past. But don't stay on the sofa-intentionally focus a plan that will "spring you into the future" so you can capitalize on your talents, gifts, personality traits, and abilities to positively affect your circle of influence and reap the blessings of a balanced life.
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