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I remember reading an article in the Los Angeles Timesabout a concert pianist who was asked about the secret of his success. He answered, “Planned neglect.” He then related how he first began to study the piano. He was young, and many things were tempting and tugging on him for his attention and time. So each day he began to take care of those tugging demands. Then, after taking care of all those other things, he would return to his music, meaning his music was getting the leftovers of his time and energy. But one day he made a decision to deliberately neglect everything else until his practice time was completed. That program of “planned neglect” accounted for his success.
If you’ve tried to be all things to all people and ended up failing on most fronts, here’s a solution: Daily develop and fine-tune the strategy of the concert pianist. Plan to neglect nonpriority projects, issues, activities, and distractions in order to complete and manage well those roles and responsibilities that are truly the most important. Then see what you can do with the lesser items on your list.
What are the few areas in your life that are most important in God’s eyes? Are you a son or daughter? Spouse? Parent? Sibling? If so, these are roles where your planning is most vital. This is your God-given family—a stewardship and priority given to you by God. What one thing can you plan to do today to enrich the lives of those closest to you?
Are you stressed out by your responsibilities? At a crossroads in your life? Wondering what to do about a complicated relationship? Don’t guess about the next step and hope for the best. Get a clear view of the right path as you follow God’s wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Elizabeth George takes you on a journey through the 31 chapters of Proverbs, which cover the matters closest to your heart in Proverbs for a Woman’s Day.
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Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
My girls are 13 months apart, which means that during their early years, I often felt like I had twins. I had to really be on my toes-there was little-or-no catching of mistakes I made on the older child so that they wouldn’t be repeated with the younger one. What I was—or wasn’t—doing to love and raise my children was being done to both of them at the same time.
Most of us have no problem memorizing the lyrics to our favorite songs. Sometimes we know them so well, or they're so deeply ingrained in our minds, that they get stuck in our heads. The moment certain songs come on you'll see people rocking in the car or singing along.
