Stop Waiting for Life to Calm Down
Life is never going to calm down. Life is never going to magically fall into place and become the perfect scenario for you to begin the things you know you should be doing.
This is the conversation I was having with myself while driving. I have most of my self-motivational conversations behind the wheel because I have to drive down Eagle Road. (Imagine a super busy highway where everyone and their mom drives 40 mph when the speed limit is 55. We all miss the lights, which leaves me with plenty of time to contemplate life.)
As I continued driving, the conversation unfolded.
You have to prioritize your life in such a way that allows you to do the things that matter most, Courtney.
Then I remembered all the times I’d told myself, I’m going to start my blog when life looks a certain way, or I’ll start that diet after this social weekend.
But that day never came. Life kept being life, social weekends never stopped, the blog never got started, and the diet continued to consist of chips and salsa at 11:00 p.m.
Because the truth is…
If we don’t intentionally insert our priorities into our schedules, life will gladly fill every empty space. There will always be something demanding our attention because life is unpredictable. You can’t create a perfectly predictable life. Trust me, I tried. It doesn’t work.
Someone will get sick. Your car will break down. Your tires will need replacing. Your water system might fail. The HVAC will quit. An unexpected bill will show up. Something will always interrupt your plans!
And somehow, those interruptions seem to happen the moment you think everything is finally falling into place.
It’s almost like there’s a Higher Power out there training us or something.
The conclusion?
If you’re waiting for a season where everything is finally in order before you begin, you’ll spend your life waiting.
No one wakes up one morning and thinks, Everything is finally perfect. Now I can start working out.
It just doesn’t happen that way.
Instead, we drag ourselves out of bed by willpower, motivation, or discipline because we know if we don’t do it first thing in the morning, it probably isn’t happening that day.
We tell ourselves, “Today is the day I prioritize my health,” and then we build our lives around that decision.
The same is true for reading your Bible, spending time in prayer, writing the book, starting the business, homeschooling your children, meal planning, or investing in your marriage.
Life doesn’t hand you margin. You have to create it by deciding what matters most and saying no to the things that matter less.
The people who consistently make progress aren’t the ones with perfect circumstances. They’re the ones who choose their priorities before life chooses them.
More often than not, that’s a lie we tell ourselves.
It’s an excuse that lets us avoid the hard work, discomfort, and uncertainty that come with starting something new. Waiting feels productive because it sounds responsible. But many times, we’re not actually waiting for the right season; we’re waiting to feel ready.
So if you find yourself driving down Eagle Road someday, sitting through another red light because everyone forgot the speed limit, maybe give yourself the same pep talk I gave myself.
And, as Shia LaBeouf so eloquently put it…
Just do it.
