Former procrastinators, we’re writing our life stories. I’ve realized, “I need to edit my life!” We can’t edit after a chapter’s written or at the end of the book. That’s too late. We have the privilege of doing it now as we go along. The ability to change is a wonderful gift!
To edit is to prepare something for publication or presentation by correcting, condensing, or otherwise modifying it. It includes pruning but has more aspects.
How do we know how to correct, condense or modify? We must know what we’re aiming for. This blog is to encourage Christian women who, like me, want to win victory over procrastination. My purpose in editing is to communicate a particular point and to do it effectively.
Boundaries (like bowling bumpers) help me do that job in a way that I hope serves you well. Each blog applies to procrastination and aims to make one major point. I publish once a week and limit myself to 500 words.
Prayer comes first, then early drafts which are always too wordy. Sometimes I find two or three points which can lead to two or three blogs with related thoughts but separate takeaways. Sometimes I haven’t said something clearly. So I correct, condense, modify. The end product is always better than the first.
Editing is like pruning – because we cut – but we also get to add, rearrange, substitute, as we seek to achieve what we’re aiming for. Our office clean out is a massive editing job. We aim to have what we need to serve us well – stored in an orderly way and easily accessible, mementos we enjoy, and clutter free space.
Consider editing literature for a presentation. We keep the nuggets that express the essence of the piece. Though we shorten it, we keep the clear plot line plus the piece’s beauty, the music. Likewise, our office will be functional plus have items that are fun or meaningful to us.
There can be various edits in our lives for us to live more effectively and experience more abundant life in Christ. Do I need to edit my purse or parenting style or career progression? Am I spread so thin I do nothing well? Do I need to remove a grudge I’m holding?
Our first step is knowing what we’re after – in marriage, in parenting, at the office, at school, in friendships, in activities, with stuff. Define that. Then discern whether or not the Lord is directing an edit to help us achieve what we’re after. Rejoice in the ability to change by His power!
Authors have editors who help make their work more effective. Other eyes can help us too.
We correct, condense, and modify under His direction. The result is more effective living, more abundance in Him. If we procrastinate and do not edit our lives as we go, we end up with unchangeable chapters we wish we had not written.
What area of your life will you edit and how?
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