When You Need to Say "No"

It's hard to decrease anything in my life right now.  I have a never-ending list of people and things clamoring for my attention - college assignments and projects, planning for children's church lessons, church events, cleaning, working out, writing - the list goes on and on.  Some things are going to need even more attention the next few months, like studying for my dental hygiene national boards and focusing more on my health.  Everyone on my list is important and everything needs my attention, so how do I decide what to drop off?  It's a tough decision to make.

Somehow, I've found time to work on my writing.  I've found quite a bit of time, actually, but I have given up some things.  I don't read much anymore, except for my Bible.  That's hard for a bookworm like me.  I have a ton of books on my Kindle, just calling my name, but I've tuned them out so I can work on a God-sized project of my own.  (Although as soon as the next Steven James book comes out, I'm making an exception - I'll drop everything else and read non-stop.  I've been waiting on The King for months!)  I don't watch much TV, except for a couple of shows that I'm truly hooked on.  I don't sleep a whole lot - I've pulled off a lot of late night writing sessions, and I've also gotten up extra-early more than once.

This may seem like a strange thing to give up, but I've started turning my radio off in the car a lot more often.  I love music, and I usually have a Christian radio station blaring anytime I'm in the car.  Sometimes I'll listen to podcasts that are relevant to what I'm working on.  Other times I'll just use my drive time to brainstorm ideas or work out scenarios that I'm stuck on.  Sometimes, that half-hour commute is the only true quiet time I get in my day, so it makes sense to use that time for deep thought or daydreaming new ideas. 

Honestly, since I've started chasing after this God-sized dream, I find myself thinking about things differently.  I look for ways to carve out time for writing.  I spend more time learning about writing.  I've pretty much let my other hobbies go to focus on this single dream.  I find myself getting lost in this whole process, but I love feeling that way. 

I found a great picture to inspire me on Pinterest, so I'll end with this - this is what will make all the sacrifices and all the hard work worth it: