In Part 1, we uncovered the impossible math: you can’t give 100% to five areas at once.

In Part 2, we shifted to seeking faithfulness in what priorities God’s calling you to in seasons of your life.

Today, I want to provide a practical framework to help you determine what God is calling you to in this season.

THE FOUNDATION

Whatever standard you’ve set for yourself as a leader, a father, husband, friend, and disciple of Christ, God’s standard is WAY higher for you than yours.

And newsflash, we fall woefully short of it!

That’s why Christ came…

To meet the standard FOR you.

The pressure is off.

Yes, you and I still have the responsibility to do good works that He’s prepared beforehand for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

BUT, because the work of meeting the standard is already met in Christ, the work we’re called into as parents, spouses, friends, leaders, and disciples is one of freedom and not burdensome.

So, with that in mind…

How do you determine what matters most in this current season?

Here’s how you get clarity:

THE 4-STEP FAITHFULNESS FRAMEWORK

STEP 1: DEFINE YOUR CATEGORIES

List out the major areas of your life: family, work, health, friendships, relationship with God, etc.

STEP 2: DEFINE WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN EACH CATEGORY

Look at the list of categories you came up with, and for each category, list out mindsets, behaviors, or outcomes that would tell you you’re succeeding in each area.

Don’t get overly specific yet, just capture what success looks like in each area at a high level.

For example, one of the things I might write down for “fatherhood” is spending intentional quality time with each of my kids.

STEP 3: DETERMINE WHAT’S REASONABLE

Look over your list of what success looks like for each area and ask “Given my current season of life, what’s reasonable to expect of myself in terms of frequency, duration, and intensity in these areas?”

For example, with my son graduating in four months, what’s “reasonable” in terms of seeking out more intentional 1-on-1 time with him might be weekly for this season vs. monthly.

STEP 4: PRIORITIZE WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT NOW

The work is NEVER done.

You will always have more you could be doing in every category.

We tend to classify everything as equally important. We tend to think as high-achievers we can do FAR more than what is humanly possible. That’s not reasonable.

Ask:

• “What’s the most important thing NOW, knowing I’ll never get it all done?”
• “Within the time I have, what matters most in this season?”

Ask:

If I look back at the end of this season:

• “Will I be comfortable with these decisions or will I have regrets?”
• Who/what might I have neglected, and at what cost?”

A “season” might be a few weeks, a few months, or a few years. It simply depends on the circumstances you find yourself in right now between work, family, and personal capacity.

I personally find it helpful to think in terms of 3-6mo timeframes.

To gain clarity on this, prayer and scripture are key. But it’s also helpful to work through this with friends and spiritual mentors you trust. God often uses others to speak into our lives.

Try to focus on what’s essential, what really matters, and start small.

THE SHIFT

Stop trying to be 10/10 everywhere.

Find the few plates that matter most in this season of your life.

Ensure those are taken care of.

And be okay with some other plates spinning at a 6/10 for now.

That’s not irresponsibility.

That’s faithfulness.

And that’s what GOD is calling you to, nothing more.