Ways to Regain Control of Your Life

Biblical meditation

When I lost my husband, I felt completely out of control. I was overwhelmed with a sense of powerlessness. I had always been skilled at organizing my time, excelling at scheduling and list-making. Each morning, my first task was to create a list of my daily goals. I even had a list of things I'm going to write lists about —this is where I got really ambitious. But, after Jeff passed away, I found myself unable to do anything I used to do. Perhaps it was because I simply stopped caring. Maybe those lists lost their significance. Why bother with time management when nothing matters to you anymore?

When I began my training as a Christian life coach, I was reminded of the importance of time management and how to I needed to regain control of my life. First and utmost, it's important to understand the distinction between events you can control and those you cannot. For example, while you can't control the time of day, but you can control what time of day you do something, such as then to wake up, go to bed, and eat. Similarly, You can't control the thoughts and actions of others, but you can control how you let them affect your feelings. So next time someone cuts you off in traffic, tell yourself that they might be rushing to an important meeting, and if they arrive too late, the only donuts left will be the plain, boring, gluten-free ones.

The Serenity Prayer is among the most renowned and powerful prayers in all Christianity.

Written by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in the early 1930s, it gained greater recognition after being adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous in 1941. Though Niebuhr wrote it slightly differently, God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. We should seek God's grace, not serenity on its own.

Start with a day planner, organizing your day from morning to night.

The initial step is to manage your daily activities. By doing this, you will boost your productivity and enhance your self-esteem. Begin with a day planner, scheduling your day from morning until night. This includes everything from prayers, meals, chores, and errands. Even note down when to brush your teeth, take a shower, watch TV and go to bed — I mean everything. It might seem tedious, but the goal is to gain a clearer understanding of how you spend each hour of your day! Do this for one week to assess your time. Next, plan your day with your values and purpose in mind. Then, prioritize by marking what is a high, medium, and low-value priority: A, B, C, or 1, 2, 3, however you prefer to indicate the level of importance. But you need to categorize each activity as a must do, should do, and could do. Examples:

1. Must do - could include doctor appointments, going to work, prayer time (which hopefully will be a "must do")

2. Should do - grocery shopping, doing laundry, sending a birthday wish to a friend.

3. Could do - reading a book, going to a movie, taking a class in something you enjoy.

You get the idea. By doing this, you will begin to see more clearly what is most important in your life.

In my upcoming post, I'll discuss how to align time management with your values. However, it's essential to identify those elusive values first. Think of it like a treasure hunt, but instead of gold, you'll be looking for things like honesty, truth, and integrity. Stay tuned, and I'll guide you through the process!

Prayer: Dear Lord, we are grateful for your grace and for empowering us to regain control of our lives through you. Lead us through our day to focus on what truly matters. Help us recognize that our foremost priority is to nurture our relationship with you. Assist us in discerning what is within our control and what is not. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!