Hey Friend, has your world gone a bit sideways lately and you’re trying to figure out how to get things right side up again? I feel you! I’ve been there and these 10 simple strategies helped me create balance and order when my world felt out of control.
It’s OK, you’ve got this!
Plus check out the BONUS video and FREE printable resource below to help you get back in balance with abundance.
The Chaos is Real
“Someone stop this planet and let me get off!”
Do you ever feel that way? Some days there’s too much commotion. The Abundant Life feels far away. The chaos and pressure around you crushes your motivation, steals your joy, and dulls your creativity.
When you feel like the world is moving way too fast and you’d rather just stay in bed with the covers up over your head instead of face the day, what can you do to recalibrate and clear the fog?
That is a great question.
I’m sitting in bed this morning with those exact same thoughts and feelings and wondering what the answers are myself!
“Maybe I’ll just stay in bed all day,” I’ve thought as I pulled the covers snug around my neck. Somehow the chaos feels too overwhelming to face. Do you ever have days like that or am I the only one?
I Know What My Problem Is
For me, I know what my problem is. In my head-long rush into my ambitions I’ve become off balance.
I am neck-deep into a project. My creativity chugged into overdrive for the last few days, so I’ve run faster than I have strength.
I’ve stayed up too late, woken early, and jumped right into my project still in my PJ’s. Some days it’s been 5pm before I got in the shower. (My husband need never know I’ve been in my jammies all day with hair in a messy bun and smudged mascara under my eyes!)
I’ve pushed eagerly into my project without pausing to pray – to really seek the Spirit and God’s guidance on my efforts.
My conversations with my children and my husband lacked in heart. My heart was deep in my project and could not be wrested out, like a fat beet stuck in reluctant earth. I’ve been distracted and resentful of interruption.
I’ve foraged on whatever I could quickly get my hands on or gone hungry through the day because the excitement of my project dulled my appetite and seemed more important than refueling.
My laundry has piled up. My dishes aren’t done. My creative things are strewn all over.
Creativity is messy business!
Temporary chaos is the sacrifice we endure for our art. Anything you are creating is art and sometimes art is all consuming of your time, attention, and energy.
And that’s ok for a little while. But when the chaos persists for too long balance is upset and a crash is in the making.
I know the crash is coming when the ideas start feeling like giving birth rather than chasing light. I know I’m out of balance when I start feeling off emotionally: overwhelmed, disconnected, unmotivated, uninspired, and lacking in peace and joy …just the place I’m in right now.
This place isn’t abundant living. And I want to live abundantly!
So… time to recalibrate. Clear the fog. Rein in the chaos. Create order again. Restore balance.
Maybe you have felt a crash coming too. Maybe yours is because of anxiety, depression, grief, or illness. Maybe it’s just that the chaos of raising your family today has reached a crescendo. Whatever has pushed you off balance and set you up for a fall, I think the answer is still the same as the answers I’ve come up with for myself.
Come on, Friend. We can pull this together … together!
The first step is to ask myself an empowering question . What can I DO to get back into balance with abundance today? I’ve asked myself that and the answers are clear and sure to me.
The Solution
Here’s what I’ve got to do to put the universe back into it’s right order and bring blessings of abundance back into my life:
1
Do first things first.
I know, I know! But it’s true! It makes all the difference. It is my place to start. These are my first things:
- Pray.
- Read scripture.
- Get ready for the day.
- Make my bed.
- Fix a good breakfast and take the time to eat it.
- Tidy the kitchen and my work space.
- Start the laundry.
For me this step is like opening the windows and letting the sunshine and the Son shine into my home and heart. It lets the fresh breeze of order clear the fog. This piece alone will give me energy and clarity.
2
Be still and know God.
Pray some more. Seek the Spirit. Listen for guidance. Welcome peace. Instead of following my own heady ambition, stop to ask what God wants me to do in this moment and then do it. My project can wait. It’s ok if it takes all day to do His assignment. Submission to God’s will brings joy and renewal. It is like getting a spiritual alignment.
3
Write in my journal.
Do a brain dump. Sometimes the chaos swirls in my head and I can’t see what is important anymore. My vision gets cloudy. When I write it all out I can then see all the pieces and can fit them into their right place.
4
Prioritize and plan a date with myself.
When I know all the ambitions tugging at my sleeve will get the attention they need in due time, I can feel at peace. I can let go of the frenzied race to get it all done right now that leads to running faster than I have strength. How do I do this? List all the things that are bugging me (see journal exercise above). Ask myself: What projects are pulling at me? Mark them in order of importance. Carve out sacred time in my schedule and make a date with my ambitions and keep it.
5
Seek forgiveness.
A simple and sincere, “I’m sorry I’ve been so absorbed in my project. Forgive me?” with a huge, sincere hug is a good place to start with our loved ones that may have been dismissed during the chaos. Even better, take them out for ice cream. One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies, Dan in Real Life, is when Dan has totally ignored, put off, and not listened to his daughters and makes a big mess of things. He confesses to his mother that he’s hurt his children. I love her response: “Go unhurt them.” So, I need to go unhurt my neglected family. I need to make it right. And I need to forgive myself and remember l am learning and growing and trying again each new day.
6
Take a break for connection.
Do something meaningful with my loved ones to really connect hearts. Look into their eyes. Hear them. Be with them. This works great in tandem with #7.
7
Get outside and move.
Seek a bit of adventure. Be in nature. Take a walk, go on a bike ride. Collect treasures as I go and create that sense of awe again in the world. It helps me feel great gratitude and gain a fresh perspective. Bonus if I can connect with loved ones and be adventurous at the same time!
8
Get back on my healthy eating bandwagon.
Resist the urge to abandon my healthy eating practices even when I am riding the creativity train at high speed. Take time to prepare and feed myself and my family real, good food that nourishes my body and soul. Simple real food doesn’t have to take a long time. But it does take commitment. Recommit.
9
Feed my mind and heart.
While preparing food or putting my home back into order, listen to a thought provoking talk, lecture, or soul-lifting music. Fill my mind and heart with truths and inspiration. This brightens up the dullness in my mind and heart. It opens up the damned creativity, joy, and peace that can feel stuck when things are out of balance and in chaos.
10
Think of someone else and do good in the world.
Who could I make smile today? Who could I comfort? Make a call. Write a note. Send a text. Give a hug. Lend a hand. Doesn’t have to be huge. When I can get out of my selfish way and turn my thoughts to others, I feel free again. The chains of focusing inward for too long break and I am liberated from my all-consuming thoughts about me and my ambitions.
Time to Get Moving
So, don’t mind me as I climb out of bed now, determined to create order and balance and find peace again by working through this list.
Maybe these ideas will work for you too when you’re stuck in your own junk. And if they don’t seem to do the trick, try asking yourself your own empowering question: what can I do to bring more abundance into my life today?
For even more help try the Abundance Toolkit I created as a free gift for you. You can grab it below. The three tools in that toolkit ALWAYS bring me clarity and help me get back in balance when I’ve gone sideways.
Be strong and of good courage today as you conquer your own chaos. Tell me how it goes in the comments. Hey, Friend, We can do it. We’ve got this!
Do you want more abundance in your life?
Hey Friend, you’re not alone. We’ve all had times where we feel out of balance with abundance. But I’ve got great news for you. Watch the video for a virtual hug and words of encouragement from me.
You’ve got this!
Yes! Please send me FREE access to the Abundance Toolkit.
Do you want more abundance in your life? Start with the Abundance Toolkit! It’s my FREE gift to you.
Yes! Sign me up.
The Abundant Toolkit is my gift to you when you subscribe to receive inspirational notes from me in your inbox (don’t worry! I’ll only send great stuff and never send spam!). When you sign up you’ll have access to my private Gifts for You Collection here at my website where I keep the Abundance Toolkit and a whole lot of other awesome resources to help you live life more abundantly.
What’s in the Abundance Toolkit?
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13 page printable workbook.
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3 tools to help you identify and apply principles of abundance in your life right now.
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Questions to help you determine where you’re out of balance with abundance.
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Specific and personal actions you can take to live life more abundantly starting today.
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