Posts Tagged: work

Is It Worth It?

Good morning everybody! Do you ever ask yourself, “Is it really WORTH it?” when it comes to some of the work you do? 

I’ve been reviewing all the things I do in my day/week/life and asking myself the question, “Is it WORTH it?” I wonder if you’ve asked yourself the same thing.

Here are the questions I am asking myself.

  • Are the results of my work WORTH the effort I put into it?
  • Is the work WORTH the time, worry, and emotional withdrawal?
  • Is the reward WORTH the cost?
  • Do I experience more BENEFIT than DEFICIT from the work that I do?
  • Why is it WORTH it to me, and am I the best person to do it?

These are the questions I’ve been asking myself in an effort to pair down the fluff. What activities are actually worth it to me to continue, and what activities need to be culled? What work is producing enough results to continue, and what work is languishing and needs to change or stop?

This morning, I took the Beasty for a walk, which may not sound like a big deal, but going for a walk around our neighborhood is a BIG deal. As in BIG hills, BIG commitment, and BIG effort.

Sometimes I feel like we live at base camp of Mt. Everest- anywhere you walk is either straight up or straight down. Seriously, if you visit me and park your car, you better hope your emergency brake works. If you drop your soccer ball or softball, kiss that rolling thing goodbye, because you’re never going to see it again. Taking out the trash bin (on wheels, btw) is an adventure all of its own. Forget driving into your garage on snowy nights. Just park at the bottom of the hill and walk the rest of the way up.

So I always have to ask myself, “Is taking the dog for a walk worth it?” Do I really want to huff and puff this morning? Do I really want to give what it takes to walk this dog? Is it WORTH IT?

Here’s my answer today.

The lake is a little far for my iphone to capture clearly, but seeing with the naked eye was nice as spice.

The lake is a little far for my iphone to capture clearly, but seeing with the naked eye was nice as spice.

The dog and I must climb out of the trees to get the view. It’s only from the top that I can make the decision if it’s worth it or not. It’s after the lacing up the boots, the thumping heart, the heavy breathing and the strained gluts. It’s only after the effort that I can truly decide if the activity is worth it.

This time, it was.

Ok, I know deer are just over grown rabbits, but I still get giddy when I see them.

Ok, I know deer are just over grown rabbits, but I still get giddy when I see them.

But there are other times, it’s not. Knowing the difference is paramount. There are some times that the view is not worth the effort. The results are not worth the time, and the benefits are not worth the cost. No matter what other people say or believe or want, I have to make the decision whether the work is WORTH it to ME. I have to decide if the work is WORTH it emotionally, financially, and maybe most importantly, eternally.

 

  • Am I called to do this work?
  • Am I doing this work when someone else should be doing it instead? Should I let go of this work to give others the opportunity?
  • Am I skilled, talented, or gifted for this work, or am I doing it because no one else will? And if I’m doing it for the latter reason, then is it making an eternal difference?
  • Is the season over for this work? Can I move on?
  • Am I doing this work to get someone to notice me, be pleased with me, or to “be somebody?”
  • Is the work WORTH it?

I can answer “no” or “yes” to these questions at any time. It’s my decision to make. Owning this decision, and the VALUE I attach to the work gives me the freedom to love the work, appreciate the work, and enjoy the process of the work. Whatever it is. Whether it be my marriage, my parenting, my own growth and healing, my non-profit work, my pro bono work, my teaching, my counseling, my writing, my bible study group, my exercise, my procrastination, my facebook trolling, my Netflix binging, my anything. I get to determine what is worth it and what is not. And when I’m unsure, I can trust that God will make it eternally worth it. Because He loves me. And He accepts me. He guides me.

Once I climb through those trees, He’ll give me a view that made it worth it all. How about you? What work is WORTH it to you, and why? What work are you thinking you’ll stop? Or start?

 

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