Nothing gets done without taking action. But when there are so many big, scary things ahead of us, it can be hard to get started. Overwhelm can slam the brakes on progress. We get stuck in neutral, and nothing moves forward.

Nothing will get done if you don’t do something.

This is where we are going to focus today. And to show you how this works, I’m going to use a real example of a current remodeling project I’m working on.

A friend and I were recently discussing the sense of overwhelm and out-of-control feeling that we were both experiencing. There are so many worthwhile, valuable things pulling at our attention. How will I ever get them all done?

My to-do list is so long there’s not enough time to read it…let alone do it.

Nothing gets done if you don’t do something.

A construction project is a big thing made up of a lot of different smaller things. Things need to be done in the right order, or the project will fall apart, or won’t be what it was intended to be.

Building a business is no different. The question is…

How do you manage all the little things?

We’ve been talking a lot about routines over the past several weeks. Like most things, it sounds great, but where to start? There’s already too much to do and not enough time. There’s no room on the list to add anything else.

No one ever said building a successful business would be easy. If they did … they lied.

Operating a business requires a lot. With so much to do, it’s common to get overwhelmed. My intent with today’s post is to help you manage that stress.

We’ve been discussing routines and how they help us get more done. How reading and learning is a big part of developing a good routine. And how I use journaling. Last week it was daily planning.

The first thing on Daily Planning is reviewing my Weekly Life Plan. That’s what we’ll go over this week.

What is a Life Plan?

A life plan is pretty much what it sounds like … it’s a plan for your life. This plan is going to look different for everyone, because we are all different after all.

My life plan is made up of the dreams and goals I want to accomplish in my life. Each year I review them and put together a plan of what needs to be done this year to keep me on track. I then break those annual goals down into quarterly, monthly, and weekly actions to achieve my goals.

Taking control of your life requires intentional action. Having a routine is a big part of that control.

The past several weeks we discussed routines and their importance in being productive. Last week we focused on my morning journaling. My routine includes reminders …. lots and lots of reminders. People that have seen my calendar and lists think I may be going a little overboard, and maybe I am. But it helps me be more productive.

It’s too easy for me to get sidetracked and forget things without reminders.

Being out of control is one of the most helpless feelings we can have. I shared a little bit about my struggle with this last week and how reading and learning changed things for me.

It was the realization that I had control over my decisions and how this control affected my life.

Routines are a big part of that control. 

Too many times, people drift through life without any plan. They neglect to take control of the things they can control.

I know how this is. I used to feel this way.

Early on I had big dreams. Then when they didn’t happen, I felt like my messy life was just what I was stuck with, and I gave up on my dreams.

Then God got my attention with a board upside the head.

Routines are regular procedures, chores, or duties done at specific intervals. We are creatures of habit and routines will happen to some degree (even if they are unplanned). The key is to not let your routines be unproductive or random.

A routine requires intentional action.

Too many people live their lives mired in regret. They leave things up to fate, wondering why their life feels so meaningless. We shouldn’t give fate control over our lives.

Last week we discussed being busy. It’s easy to find ourselves with too much to do. There are just so many important and fun things that need done. This leads to burnout.

It’s all too common for people to get burnt out.

I’ve seen this happen a lot over the years. One place this happens as much as any is in the church. There’s no work any more important than that. When we have a desire to help it can take over our lives … and burnout is the result.

I know this, because I’ve been there.