Are You Trying Hard?

Sep 25, 2011, Written by Sue Miley

Life is full of stuff we do.  We work and if you are reading this you probably have your own business.  Many of us are married with kids.  But, even if we aren’t, we all have relationships.  People we love.  As an adult, we have responsibility over our resources.  Some have more than others, but we all have some!

This means we all have the opportunity to do exceptional work.

We all have the potential for strong, deep, meaningful relationships.

And we have stewardship over some amount of resources.

So how are you doing in your work, relationships and stewardship responsibilities?

If you look at these three areas of life and had to rate your effort, what would you give yourself on a scale of 1-10?

Is Your Work Exceptional? 

At the end of each work day can you look back and give yourself a 10 for effort.  I mean did you get up that morning, give real thought as to how you could make the most of the day?  Did you decide on the attitude you needed, the strategies to employ, and the tasks that needed completing?  Throughout the day did you focus on what you had planned, remain flexible as needed, and end the day knowing you really tried to glorify God in all that you accomplished?

Do You Nurture Deep Meaningful Relationships?

Yet it isn’t over is it.  We all have relationships that we interact with throughout every day.  According to Jesus, relationships are pretty much why we are here.  We are here to reach others for Him.  One way we do that is through loving others as He loves us.  This one is always hard for me.  If I look back at the end of the day it is really difficult to compare my love, for the people I love, to how Jesus loves us.  So I always come back to, did I really try?  I guess I have to focus on an “A” for effort if not accomplishment.

Did you really try in your relationships today?  Did you try to be a loving husband, wife, parent, sister, brother or friend,?

I think it is important for us to really try.

Are You Taking Care of Your Stuff?

And then there is our “stuff”.  God gives us resources and with it we usually buy stuff.  This maybe should be a daily thing, but I know that at least once a week, I look at all of our finances and try to determine what we could have done better in managing them.  I also look at our house, cars and “stuff” and see if we are taking care of them.  Unfortunately, the God who created us didn’t give my family a lot of gifts and talents in the fixing things or cleaning things category.  This is an area we have a lower rating on.

But we keep trying.

The question that I keep coming up with for me, and maybe, it would be good for you:

Are you really trying?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chris Patton says

    Good post, Sue!

    Too often, I get into the “survive today” mode and forget that I can have a huge impact on the day and the people if I will just change my mindset. It really boils down to being intentional, doesn’t it?

    I have a LIFE plan that I have put together over the past several years and I try to review it every Saturday. During this review, I “grade” myself on the prior week’s efforts and lay out my activities and focuses for the next week. It is not a perfect system, but it works well when I stick to it!

    Regardless of the plan, we just have to be intentional about our impact. Whether it is our work, relationships, or finances, we cannot just “wing it” every day and expect to see great results.

    Thanks for the reminder!

  2. Bradley J. Moore says

    Many of us in business approach management with an either/or philosophy – we focus on either performance or people, but can’t seem to do both. Your post here is right – promoting an and/both mentality. We can strive for excellent performance AND meaningful relationships, treating people well. It works.

  3. annemercy kimani says

    Its amazing. The same thoughts have been tagging in my mind. That despite all the being busy am i really making a difference in the things am doing, in the relationships am having. Am i leaving an imprint in people’s hearts and lives. Are theirs lives better because they have dealt with me? Am i working on my legacy?

    At the end of the journey will my/ world celebrate me or celebrate that i have left

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sue Miley

Sue Miley MBA, MA, LPC helps small business owners build successful businesses on a foundation of Christian values. After 20 years in business, and 10 years as a Christian counselor, Sue uses a combination of faith, business and psychology to help clients in business and in life.

Related Posts

When Your Business Threatens to Consume You

By Sue Miley | September 6, 2023

I pick up my phone and open the screen. The email symbol is like a coiled snake waiting to deliver the bite of poison potentially […]

Read More

Thy Will Be Done…  Common Applications for the Small Business Owner

By Jim Miley | September 5, 2023

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…. Mat 6:9-10 My Christian friends and clients pray […]

Read More
managing employee expectations

The Power of Managing Expectations for Business Leadership

By Jim Miley | August 22, 2023

Expectations are ever-present, everywhere, and in everyone.  We have expectations of our staff, our staff has expectations of us, our customers have high expectations and […]

Read More