Today I’ve got five questions to share with you as you go into this new year that might help you to do less, but to do it better.

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Show Highlights

My New Year’s resolution is: I want to do less than I did last year and the year before that.

Think of it like pruning a tree or, in the case of John 15, a vine. Jesus says that he’s the vine and every branch that bears fruit must be pruned so it can bear more fruit. In the context of your life, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate and not add more new things to divide your attention with. Try to focus on doing the more important and fruitful things better.

Productivity isn’t always the same as fruitfulness. Sure, you can get a bunch of things done, but sometimes those things aren’t beneficial to you when you consider the bigger picture. If you just try to get everything done, you could easily burn yourself into exhaustion and in the process maybe become bitter or edgy in your relationships and in your outlook on life.

In Luke 10, we hear the story of Mary and Martha. They welcomed Jesus into their house and while he was there, Mary decided to sit at his feet and listen to his teachings. Martha was distracted by chores and work she thought she had to do to serve Jesus as a guest. When she asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her, the Lord answered: “Martha, you are anxious and troubled about so many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

As we approach 2020, here are five clarifying questions that can help you take a critical look at what you’re doing in your life, and what you might be able to do less:

1. What’s one activity I find myself doing that does not add true value to myself or anyone else?
2. What’s something that I do primarily motivated by guilt or fear of what someone else will think?
3. What’s something I spend money on that does not truly enhance my life in the least?
4. If I was paying someone $100 an hour to coach me, what’s one thing that they would tell me to stop doing?
5. What’s the one thing I can do that by doing it, many other things become easier or unnecessary?

My “one thing” in my personal life is what I call my “margin in the morning.” It’s that couple of hours in the early morning when I have no distractions from work calls and emails, from my kids, or anything else. I use this time to pray, to walk, to exercise, and to read the Bible. When I am able to do this, I find that I can engage people in a completely different way.

In my work life, my one thing is to create. Whether it’s creating sermons, lessons, or content, if I am able to eliminate distractions and just concentrate on that creative time, it seems to help me and others the most.

Going back to John 15, remember in this coming year that you are not called to bear fruit. You are called to abide in Jesus. When you abide in Jesus, He will produce fruit through his spirit in your life. When you are able to prune your life, to focus on the best things you can do, it will help you to catch your breath, to actually sit at the feet of Jesus a little bit more.

Resources Mentioned

• Jay’s email: [email protected]
• Jay’s e-book: Fun Family Conversations. Text THINGS to 66866 to download for free.
• Previous episode: Nir Eyal: Raising Indistractable Children
• Book: The One Thing by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan