Do You Know What Is Yours to Do Today?

Do you struggle to decide what to do next? Maybe you feel pulled in twenty directions at once? Maybe you keep yourself busy, but it feels like you still don’t get anything accomplished? Or maybe you feel paralyzed, because you know what you ought to do but you can’t bring yourself to start?

If you want to be more effective, and find more peace and satisfaction in your day, I suggest you start each day by asking this one question.

What is mine to do today?

What is yours to do vs. what belongs to someone else

If you’re feeling over-stressed, over-busy, or too scattered, it may be because you are trying to do other people’s work. For example, you might be:

• The type of person who takes responsibility for meeting the needs you see around you, without first asking if that particular need is yours to tackle.  
• Trying to fix other people, or fix their problems for them.
• Sucked into someone else’s project and so busy working for them that you’re neglecting what God is calling you to do.

We must let go of all the good things we could do or ought to do, and instead focus on only the things God is leading us to do—at this moment, in this season.

How to discern what is yours to do.

It would be nice if we could wake up each day and receive a memo from God with the day’s agenda, but that isn’t how life works. We must function without absolute clarity (I don’t like it any more than you do) and make decisions the best we can.

Here are five tips to help you discern what is mine to do.

Prayer. Are you listening to God? Do you intentionally still your thoughts and body long enough to hear his whispers? Spending silent time with God is SO HARD for those of us who like to get things done, but it’s critical if we want to accomplish the right things.

Use your common sense: What is yours to do is grounded in your current reality. It comes from where you are right now, with the people in your life right now, in the situation you are stuck in right now. Let your reality inform what is your to do today.

 Seek wise counsel: Sometimes we need help making decisions. If you are stuck, ask wise people in your life to help you clarify what is your to do.

Use hindsight: As you go about your day, pay attention to your heart, gut, and soul. Do you feel confirmation that you are doing what God has called you to this day? Notice when you feel good about accomplishing something and take that as a confirmation that you’ve been making the right choices.  

Listen to your gut: Your feelings and thoughts may mislead you. You probably won’t feel like doing the right thing, and your inner critic can talk you out of doing it. Sometimes you need to ignore them and listen to your gut. If your gut knows, just do it!

Are you willing to do what is yours to do?

It can be a struggle to choose the best action, even when we know it’s what we should be doing. Here are some things to consider that will help you succeed.

What must you let go of to do what is yours?

Doing what is yours to do means giving up other work that you might want to do. This can be difficult. Here are somethings you may need to give up in order to do the better thing:

• Unhelpful beliefs that whisper you aren’t capable
• Your agenda and your expectations for the day
• Other people’s issues that you want to fix
• Pleasing others (instead of pleasing God and following his calling)
• Jealousy, when it seems like others have more important jobs or easier jobs.

What must you take hold of to do what is yours?

If it is yours to do, then you can be sure you God has given you the wherewithal to begin. You might not yet have what it takes to finish the goal, but you can take today’s step.

Also, if it is yours to do, it’s more important in the long run than all the other things that seem way more important or impressive right now. Hold firm even when what is yours seems boring, unimportant, or totally without impact.

Here are some helpful things to remember as you try to do what is yours today.

• Faith. Stand firm in God’s leading, guidance and provision. Trust that he knows where he is leading, even when it feels like you are doing nothing of importance or when you feel like you can’t face any more of it.
• Courage. Courage is not an absence of fear but acting while you are afraid.
• Trust. You must believe that the world will not fall apart without your intervention, and that others are capable of taking care of what is not yours to do (even if they don’t do it as perfectly as you could).
• Forgiveness. Doing what is yours to do is a lifetime journey. You will make mistakes. You will have bad days. When that happens, forgive yourself and try again tomorrow.

Are you doing what is yours to do today?

The more often you remember to ask yourself the question, the better.

If you know what is your to do, and you’re trying to do just that, awesome! Keep up the good work. If you have no idea what is yours to do, stop right now and ask yourself. If something has derailed you, distracted you, or frightened you away, it’s not too late. Forgive yourself. Ask the question again and get back on track.