Personal Leadership with Christine Caine and Propel WomenSample

Balance: The Myth of Having it All

Do you want to have it all? Society says we’ll find our value in earning a degree, starting a successful business, making big money, leading a staff, marrying our soulmate, getting promoted, having perfect children while living in a perfect home, maintaining a great marriage, volunteering, exercising, doing, doing, doing! We laugh at the idea of actually achieving all of these “goals,” but if we’re honest, many of us burden ourselves by looking to others to tell us how we should live — and then exhaust ourselves trying to make that a reality!  

Fortunately, there’s a better way. When you receive from God all you need rather than striving on your own for all you want, you’ll know peace. By putting God first in your life, He will provide all you need in order for you to do what He created you to do. He calls us to a life fulfilled in Him and to focus on the outcomes that matter to Him.  And what He wants for us is so much bigger and more wonderful than we could ever imagine for ourselves.

As we rush through our day—responding to emails, tidying up around the house, paying bills—we may feel like we’re getting a lot done. But studies have shown that multitasking is not really doing multiple things at the same time; instead, we’re shifting our attention and focus back and forth very quickly.  Each time we stop and start an activity, this effort costs us time and energy and produces lower-quality work!  

Instead of multitasking, consider moving toward unitasking: doing one job, giving it full attention, and tuning out distractions. Although challenging, doing so can make us more productive and our work more enjoyable. 

Balance is not achieved by doing everything all at once, it’s about doing the right thing well at the right time. Our brains are not designed to do too many things at once, and our souls are not created to excel in every single aspect of life simultaneously. It’s vital to identify the most important things and then “unitask” those priorities with excellence. 

Reflect: What is God prompting you to prioritize in this season to lay a foundation for flourishing in your life? Write it down and include practical ways to make it happen on a day-to-day basis.

What would it look like for you to adopt a unitasking approach to your day? What changes would you need to make to accomplish that?  

Adapted from Personal Leadership Conversation Series by Propel Women. Reprinted with permission of Propel Women Women. All rights reserved.