Struggling to Get Everything Done? Here’s How to Prioritize

Nov 8, 20225 min read

Updated: Aug 2, 2023

Hello Mountain Mover,

I'm having one of those days where I end up accomplishing precisely zero of my goals. Including taking forever to finish this article that is supposed to explain why finishing everything is impossible. So, I'm sitting here doing nothing useful while praying for direction. For that reason, we'll forego the usual introduction paragraph and dive right in.

Was it supposed to be this hard?

We weren't built for this kind of labor. Give me a chance to explain. Working is something we have to do as humans because of our God-given responsibilities. This is something I am aware of. But in the garden, everything was working toward a specific goal, and most of it was completed (Genesis 2:8-15). Without a doubt, we were destined to play the role of caretakers, with our only responsibility being the upkeep of the current structure.

That is, until the fall.

A few things happened after the fall. Sin was introduced into the picture. Humans were expelled from paradise and in Genesis 3:17-19 told this:

17. To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.

18. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.

19. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:17-19).

We would not only have to work, but the work itself would be against us. The outcome of our work will require sweat or some type of discomfort. Even before we sit down to make a list of things to do, the odds are stacked against us.

Identifying purposeful activities can be challenging.

The work in the garden had a clear purpose. Adam and Eve did not need to guess the outcome or impact. Unfortunately, the purpose of the work we complete will not be as straightforward. I know this isn't breaking news, but it bears repeating.

Without a clear purpose, adding a little of this or that to our routine becomes easy. Then meeting our own expectations becomes more difficult. When we've reached our breaking point, it's tempting to keep going rather than try to figure out why we're doing what we're doing.

With sin, it is hard to prioritize.

Sin is not our friend, nor is it other people's problem. Whether we directly sin or not, the disease-like nature of sin has an impact on our lives. It spreads throughout humanity, frequently presenting itself as something shiny and appealing to the eye. However, it quickly becomes bitter. As a result, our vision becomes clouded, and we lose our ability to prioritize. How can we sort through all of the shiny new distractions?

Time is a limiting factor for everyone.

Another issue brought about by sin is the limitation of time. We could and would like to do so many things, but we only have so much time. With time being limited, we feel the pressure to rush into every opportunity, task, or career. When I transferred my to-do list to a block schedule, I noticed that I didn't have time to eat, sleep more than 4 hours, or spend time with my family.

It turns out that the issue was not with the block schedule. I had overestimated my available time while underestimating how long each task would take. It is not unusual to have more things to do than time. This is a common struggle that most people face.

Some tasks were never supposed to be on our to-do list.

We’ve talked about the fall, sin, purpose, and time. Now we head into the dreaded “B” word: Boundaries. Setting boundaries and including the word "no" in our word garden will help to reduce the chaos emanating from the pages of your to-do list. Taking on too much will surely keep us from getting everything done. We are not called to live our lives like our neighbors, best friends, or parents.

As stewards, our tasks are based on our unique role on earth. God has called us to impact specific people in equally specific ways. This means that our stewardship must be deliberate. At some point in the process of trying to remain productive, we have to consider if we have taken on too much.

Do we need to ask for help? Have we said "yes" to a task when it should have been "no" or, at the very least, "not today"? These are the questions I've started asking myself as I try to match my list to the list God has for me.

We are under pressure to live up to societal and cultural standards.

As we all know, societal expectations are not always accurate, and they change on a regular basis. Norms in society frequently exclude two factors: obedience to God and spiritual impact. Because these factors are excluded, we end up with half-truths and opinions that sound like facts. Whether it's what to eat, how to raise children, or gender roles, history shows that society and native culture push narratives that aren't best for everyone.

Why should we let other people dictate how we spend our time on this planet? You don't have to be a stay-at-home parent, entrepreneur, administrator, nurse, or executive. Dinner does not have to be served by a specific time, and it is acceptable if your company does not make five figures today.

Are we living according to God’s expectation for how we use our time or society's? This is another unfortunate conversation I have to have with myself. Whose standards am I trying to meet?

Now that we’ve pinpointed some of our obstacles, what’s the next step? I'd like to make a small suggestion:

Give your tasks to God, and let him tell you what needs to be done. The answer may surprise you.
Talk to him firth thing in the morning and lay any anticipated frustrations into his lap.
Ask God to show you daily which tasks are directly in line with his plan for your life and which require a (grace-filled :) no.

Let's do it together. Tomorrow morning, we will ask God what the day's priorities are. Everything else will have to wait.

As Always,

Plant a Good Word

Are you having trouble completing the items on your to-do list? Let us know in the comment section below.