There’s a good chance you’ve heard the phrase, “Veni, vidi, vici,” by Julius Caesar which translates to “I came, I saw, I conquered”. Based on history & all his accomplishments, there is a good chance he either naturally was or learned to be a Type A personality. Here’s the thing, though, I personally do not believe all Type A’s are, behave, or organize themselves the same way. If I had been in his place, my saying would’ve gone something more like this:
“I came, I saw all this really cool stuff I wanted to accomplish, I took on too much at once, I couldn’t get it all done, I failed miserably, I gave up.” – Emily Geiger, 2017
Yep…that’s me. Not quite so epic…it just doesn’t quite have the same pizazz to it as Caesar’s. But really though, I think many people with type A personalities tend to be like this…especially in our day & age where we’re constantly flooded & bombarded with new ideas, opportunities, & requests for our time. I especially, I am prone to taking on way too many things. I am fascinated by life, by learning new things, & having new experiences. I want to see & try everything in the whole world & I want to experience it all, but sadly I know this isn’t possible. I could never really do everything I’d love to do in only 1 lifetime. I get so excited & passionate about life that I don’t take enough time to learn discipline in the basics. Honestly, I’m tired of that life & I have been learning (through unpleasant experiences, I might add) that I take on too much which causes me to be a master of nothing. Taking on too much doesn’t make me a better person, it just makes me stressed & overwhelmed. It makes it impossible to master the things I NEED to be doing, it spreads me too thin, & I become so scattered between everything that I can’t excel at or accomplish anything.
In the spirit of the new year, my goal is to narrow down the things I’m doing. I look forward to mastering the things I NEED to be focusing on & and THEN I can add new to the things I’m already doing. I caution you of the same thing. In the excitement, emotion, & new opportunities for the new year, it’s easy to make too many big changes all at once. It’s too easy to become overwhelmed by it all & it’s too easy to quit because of it. If you don’t make a good plan of action & then actually stick to it, you’re only increasing your chances of failing. Instead, make tiny changes first, make a plan to help you, get that down, then add to it slowly. As we make a clean break from 2017 & make a fresh start in 2018, remember that you don’t have to do it all. Remember that it is okay to say no. It is okay to limit your focus so you can learn to master & balance the things you already have in your life before adding more. Remember that it is okay to say no to things if you can see that they are going to distract you from the things God has intended for you right now. Remember that saying no right now does not mean no forever. God could open doors to allow you to do & take on more things your heart desires later on. Remember that no doesn’t have to mean being boring, but rather learning to be grateful for the now, that it will likely lead to less stress & wasted time in your life, you’ll be more effective at what you’re doing right now. It will free you to experience & give more joy & positivity in your life. It will free you to put your energy into the things that matter most.
In this new year…I’ve backed off a lot so that I can focus on & hone the things I know God is asking me to do. For too long I have been like a tiny dab of butter spread over too much bread…not really good for anything. So this year, my focus is to simplify my life. My goal is to master the things God has put in front of me for right now & zone in on growing my relationship with Him so that it can spill over to the people I come in contact with. My focus is establishing a positive & working routine for myself in the mornings, developing a growing workout regimen for myself, growing in my relationship with God, growing in my career, making time to take better care of the things God has already given me (like my home, my pets, my husband, my finances) and working to read & write more for the purpose of sharing the Gospel & encouraging others. I’m not adding anything crazy…more like taking out the things that were just wasting my time so I can actually have time to do the main things.
I’m excited for the new year. I’m excited for the change. I’m excited to see my own “Type A” quote maybe become more focused & concise like Caesar’s. I’m excited to grow, & mostly, I am excited to follow God wherever He leads me.
If you’re a Type A personality like myself…take time today to step back & take note of the excess in your life that is holding you back from mastering the main things you need to master & the things that are most important.
What do you feel like distracts you most from the things you need to be doing in your life? What things do you want to be able to experience or do in life, one day?
Be blessed, friends!