Small, Simple, and Slow
frozen tree in winter landscape - image from unsplash
Are you just starting out on the path of your vocational calling? Or have you been on this journey for many years? No matter what season you may be in or how seasoned you may feel, you may be finding yourself in a tough spot. If you’re feeling a little lost in the weeds of your projects, or overwhelmed by options, you may need to ask this question of yourself: Do I need to simplify?
When I get excited about something, or when I start to get desperate for something to work out, I tend to add, add, add! More, more more! I end up making things more intricate, and more complicated. I over-plan and overcommit and then wonder why I feel overwhelmed.
But to quote the titular character from the 1995 film Sabrina, “more isn’t always better, Linus, sometimes it’s just more.”
How do you know you need to simplify? I know I need to simplify when I’m feeling spread too thin across all of my own plans. When I can’t even keep track of all I’ve started.
Why does it make sense to simplify? Because it’s not all about us and what we can accomplish, anyway. We have a part to play, but God makes things happen. As it says in 1 Corinthians 3:6-10 NIV regarding the spreading of the gospel: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (v. 6-7).
I think usually, the reason I get overzealous or I overcomplicate things is because I’m trying to make it happen my way, in my time, with my ideas.
I am learning in real-time the benefits of… small, simple, and slow:
small - Big dreams rarely come to fruition over night. There is so much value in starting small and mastering the baby steps. Or, if not mastering, at least learning! God teaches us that big things can come from small beginnings. So maybe you need to put an “x” through some of those plans you made for yourself… or at least put them on the shelf to come back to later. Get back to the basics. Start small again. Focus on one or two things. Put your energy into those instead of into five or nine or 13 things.
simple - If I feel called to write, then I need to write. As in, sit down at a computer and start typing. Business marketing means nothing if I don’t have books to market. The publishing timeline that I so thoughtfully planned out is useless if I never sit down to write. It doesn’t matter which online platforms I decide to be on if I have nothing new to share about my writing. Leave out all the “trappings” and get back to the heart of your calling.
slow - Things can happen so slowly. Dreams can take ages to become reality, even God-given dreams. (Just look at Joseph’s story in Genesis). But God’s timing is perfect. When I go slower, when I pace myself, I don’t get burnt out nearly as quickly.
How can you slow down, simplify, and minimize today? What might that look like in your vocation?
