God Gives Us More Than We Can Handle

John Ploetz

8 Dec, 2017

What happens when God gives us more than we can handle? We all admire people that have overcome major obstacles or setbacks in their lives. We love stories about underdogs that have found the courage to move on against insurmountable odds. Is it because each of us have faced similar struggles? Well maybe not to the same degree, but each of us has experienced obstacles in our lives.

So, when we have the opportunity, we frequently provide advice to others in tough situations. Often the words of wisdom we universally send their way is, “God never gives you more than you can handle.” I think we truly believe that statement. It is intended to provide others comfort as they struggle to overcome the challenges and obstacles that they are facing and to also reassure ourselves that we will never face a situation we can’t handle. But, is the phrase accurate?

Maybe the phrase should be, “Yes, I sympathize with your situation; I’m sorry to say, God gives you more than you can handle at times.” So, what then, what can we do when we do have more than we can handle? Here are some positive steps to take.

Acknowledge to yourself that you have more than you can handle. Putting your head in the sand won’t make the problems go away. You need to turn and face them head on. If you don’t acknowledge your problems, you can’t hope to ultimately find a solution to them.
Focus on solving real problems. Many people misconstrue real problems with excess baggage they don’t want to let go. Real problems can be solved. Excess baggage creates stress, but may have no real solution. Before focusing on problem solving, decide what baggage you want to continue to carry and what baggage you’re ready to leave behind, so you can focus on real problems.
Prioritize your problems. Some struggles come with the territory. Life is full of challenges; many aren’t going to go away anytime soon. Instead, prioritize what you can deal with now. Focus on what needs to be done at the current moment.
Take action. Admitting to yourself that action needs to be taken isn’t enough. Start carrying out action steps. Procrastinating won’t help. The sooner you act, the sooner the problems will be resolved.
Always be adapting. Change is one of the few constants in our lives. Embrace change; don’t allow it to overwhelm you; and never ignore it. You won’t be prepared to live with tomorrow’s changes if you’re focused on what happened yesterday. Remember, past actions may not work for you tomorrow.
Be prepared to take alternate plans of action. Current action plans may not work tomorrow. Keep an open mind about possible alternate plans. Always be willing to ask yourself, “What alternate plans can be taken to resolve my problems?”
Reassess what’s occurring. Always focus on what is occurring in your life. When you reassess, you simply retest the current life situations you are facing. If your life situation changes, then you need to revise your problem-solving process; even starting the whole process over, if need be.
Make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. If you’re not making mistakes you’re not taking action steps. Action is all about learning and mistakes can be a great learning tool.
Take ownership of bad things that occur. Bad things happen to everyone. Not everything bad that happens to you is your fault. But, you need to take ownership of those bad things that are your fault. Taking ownership doesn’t mean you will dwell on those bad things, it means you will be truthful with yourself. This can help you to understand how they occurred and stop you from doing the same mistakes in the future.
Move solved problems to your past. Once solved, you need to move those problems into the past. Moving them out of your current thought process frees up your mind for other more important things.

Having more than you can handle isn’t fun for anyone. But, you don’t need to settle on and accept your current situation. Take steps to move past the obstacles you face. Each obstacle should be evaluated, steps to remove the obstacles should be undertaken, and you should move forward. Never settle with your current situation, especially when God gives you more than you can handle at the current moment.

Letting Go

John Ploetz

6 Nov, 2017

Letting go is never easy. What happens when we experience those instances when we get so caught up in something we can’t let go. A problem or a situation grows into something that we just fixate on. We struggle with it and over time we lose focus of everything but that one thing; we allow that one thing to compulsively consume all our attention. It can start out slowly, but quickly we find that it takes on a life of its own. It takes over our life and consumes our thought processes and drains us of our energy. So how do we change direction? How do we stop an unhealthy fixation and get back on track?

1. Start by making a mental note of what it is that is so anxiously being fixated upon. Think about what it is you are spending your time dwelling on. Then, jot down some notes or better yet, write a concise paragraph of what it is you think you are fixating on in an unhealthy manner. Seeing it in writing helps you better grasp the situation.

2. Decide what you can change and what you can’t change about the problem or situation. Think about your thoughts and concerns and how they have developed into a fixation. Then, separate the different thoughts and concerns; figure out which thoughts and concerns you can change at the current moment and which pieces you can’t change. Set aside those you can’t change.

3. Take action. Take those pieces that you can change and figure out a plan of action to resolve them. Create specific action steps for yourself. Keep moving forward on those action steps. Always look to add new action steps when you determine that there are more pieces you can change.

4. Limit the time you spend on the problem. Never spend too much time focused on thinking about or attempting to solve the problem or situation. Set a specific amount of time on a daily or weekly basis to mentally and physically work on the problem or situation. Once that amount of time is used up move on to something else. Clear your mind.

5. Always try to seek more facts and information to resolve whatever it is you are stuck on. Positive action steps should always be your main goal. Don’t rehash “what ifs” and “what wasn’t done”. Always look forward. Search out new facts and information that can lead to a positive solution.

6. Find a distraction or task to clear your mind. Find alternative tasks, hobbies or work to take your mind off the problem or situation. Anything that forces you to focus your attention on something other than the fixated problem or situation will help to break the “fixation”.

7. Get some exercise. Exercise can clear the mind and allow you to move past your negative fixation; exercise may also allow you to gain new insight to reach a positive solution more quickly.

8. Talk the problem through with someone. As part of your process to reach a resolution, talk through your concerns with someone you know. By verbalizing you can sometimes loosen the hold your unhealthy fixation has on you. Another voice can help you to see possible solutions or alternative actions that you aren’t focusing on.

9. Be prepared to take final action. Never hold on to a problem or negative situation longer than you need to. Once a solution is at hand take steps to put the solution process in place. Move on from the problem or situation and attempt to forget about it. Holding on just prolongs the fixation process; it is a further waste of your time and energy, stopping you from moving on to more pressing concerns.

10. After a decision is made don’t second guess yourself. Treat a decision as final. Move forward from there.

A big part of life is learning to deal with problems and situations by ultimately letting go of them. Sometimes we allow certain situations and problems to grow bigger than they need to be; we allow them to take on a life of their own. By taking positive steps to deal with those problems and situations, we limit the impact they have on our lives, before they have a chance to consume us in an unhealthy way.

Am I Still Relevant?

John Ploetz

10 Apr, 2017

It doesn’t matter if you just started your career or if you have been in your career for years, staying relevant in the workplace is a necessity these days. Technology is constantly changing. Whole job sectors have disappeared over the last few decades and new job sectors are being created almost overnight. So how then does one stay relevant in the workplace? Following are some questions to ask yourself in assessing if you are relevant in your current job and what you should be doing to stay relevant.

1. What is my role in my current job? This is the first question you need to ask. Do you understand what your role is where you work? By understanding your current role, you define your work relationship and what it is you actually do for your current employer. That way you can determine what it is you need to focus on to stay relevant.

2. Am I productive? What tasks are you expected to complete? What do you get accomplished on a regular basis? How efficiently do you complete your tasks? Are you as efficient as other employees?

3. Do I add value? What do you do day to day or on a weekly basis that produces something of value for your employer? Many people never ask themselves what is it exactly that they do in their job that makes one important to one’s employer. You may do many things but what is it that creates value? This can be hard to measure; but it is something you need to think about. If you aren’t adding value, you aren’t relevant.

4. Do I like what I do? Enjoying your job, can be the deciding factor of whether you put in the high level of energy needed to successfully complete your work tasks. This ultimately determines how well you do your job. If you don’t like what you do, over time, your work quality may suffer making you less relevant to your employer.

5. What is my attitude like? How do you approach your work tasks and your fellow employees? How do you interact with people at work? When you get up in the morning are you excited to go to work? Attitude goes a long way in whether a manger feels they need to and want to keep you on.

6. Am I up to date on training needed to do my job? Think about what skills are needed for the job. What training should you do to stay up to date with those skills? Then, also think about what additional training is needed to expand upon current job skills; moving your skill level above basic to advanced is always helpful.

7. What is management’s perception of me? Yearly review time is a good time to ask what areas of self-improvement you should work on. Never be afraid to ask your boss what you’re doing right and what areas you need to improve on.

8. What is management’s goals for the company and how does that include me? You may have a job today, but look at the direction the company is moving in. This will help you determine where you fit in. Things are always in a state of change make sure you are moving along with those changes.

9. Where am I now? This is about personal introspection. What are your individual goals? Do your individual goals sync now with your current job goals. Are you in the right job for you?

10. What direction am I moving in? What is your career path? Where do you see yourself in the next year; in the next five years. Should you begin transitioning into another job or do you see yourself in your current job for the foreseeable future.

The questions set out above may seem overwhelming. But each one needs to be asked if you can really assess how relevant you are in your current job. They will help you determine what steps you should take to remain relevant; whether you want to stay relevant in your current job; or whether now is the right time to look for a change.