By Nick Brzozowski
Why are Mondays the worst? Of course, there’s the obvious - getting up and going to work. But, for me, there is another dynamic going on - and it isn’t just on Mondays.
As we drove back from Kenosha yesterday afternoon, I was so excited about what God was doing in our lives and what he was teaching us. After almost two months here in CU, we got the chance to visit our friends and family and share with them about what’s happening here. Seeing the big picture gave me confidence that God’s hand is on us.
But, then came this morning.
It started with one list — what needed to get done today. Then, came the second — what needs to get done this week. Then, came the imaginary list — what should have been done by now.
There always seems to be a pattern for me that happens typically at the start of the week: stress for everything that has to happen and guilt for everything that hasn’t happened yet.
I have already implemented a few strategies that have helped:
1. Set more input goals and less output goals (I accountable for what I can do).
2. Write done tasks and even schedule them (I don’t have to stress out about something now, when I know I have planned to work on it at a specific time).
3. Give more time for things than I think (it always takes longer than I guess). But, this morning, I took some time to reflect on this guilt/stress cycle a little more.
First, I asked myself whether or not I actually should feel guilty. This helped a lot. I realized that I was just being too hard on myself. Sure, not everything works out like I think it will, but I can be encouraged that I am learning and growing in the process.
Second, I was reading the apostle Paul’s own self reflections in his letter to the church in Philippi. He used the expression “confidence in the flesh” to describe his own past ambitions and drive. But, when he met Jesus, he considered all of those accomplishments as “loss.” When he wrote this, he was in prison in Rome. Nobody was intimidated by how great he was. And he was happier than ever.
Maybe these guilt/stress moments can be opportunities to be reminded that performance isn’t everything and the greatest fulfillment is in knowing Jesus.
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