We had just finished building our new home and studio, which was a HUGE undertaking. I sat in the middle of our home gazing around at this big open “bare” space feeling totally overwhelmed. Now, it was time to decorate and I had no idea where to begin. We had spent everything we had emotionally and financially just trying to get the house built. I felt paralyzed, but knew I needed to finish the job. It was our dream home and I wanted it to express our creative touch and to be equipped to suit our various needs.

In my paralyzed state, I started flipping through the TV channels, came across HGTV and soon found my answer. It was the decorating show “Room By Room.” It wasn’t the décor from this show that necessarily captured my attention as much as it was the “concept”. The approach was to take it one room at a time. I had found my answer!

Instead of feeling overwhelmed with the enormous endeavor of decorating the entire house I would start with one room. I would work on one room until I finished it the way I wanted it and then move on. Wow! Did I feel relieved, all of a sudden I found a solution to my frustration…a solution to getting my house the way I wanted it.

Do you feel that way with life sometimes? Are you overwhelmed with everything that you want to accomplish? Are you paralyzed by the hugeness of daily life and the un-ending “To Do” list or should I call it a “Dream” list? Do you have a business or ministry that overwhelms you to where you have difficulty managing every aspect? Perhaps the answer is for you to take it “room by room.”

 

1. Make a list of your rooms. What projects do you need to accomplish?

2. Pick the top three rooms/projects that are most important—the ones most beneficial for productive living and success.

3. Start with the core room/project of your endeavor. Otherwise, what is the foundational project that needs to be accomplished in order for the other projects to have any merit?

4. Make a list of any tools or help you may need in accomplishing the first task. (Just like you see in a cake recipe—the ingredients needed to make and bake the cake. You have to have the ingredients before you can start the process.) Make sure you have everything you need. There is nothing worse than starting a recipe and finding out you don’t have any eggs.

5. Make a list of steps to accomplish the project.

6. Take the first step! Once you take the first step the other steps are much easier.

7. Don’t stop until you have finished the project! You can’t enjoy the room or the cake with out completing each step.

8. Move on to the next project in your top three. Once you have completed your top three. Make a new list and do it again!

“Do not throw away your confidence, it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will be receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36

Don’t give up! Don’t get discouraged! Don’t throw away your confidence! Take it “room-by-room” and finish the work you have been called to do—enjoy the room and delight yourself in the satisfaction of a job well done.

 
You are welcome to reproduce this article as long as you include the following blurb:
Peggy Reeves is a speaker, writer and life coach. To find out more about Peggy please visit her website and blog at www.peggyreeves.com and http://embracinglifewithpeggy.blogspot.com