An Encouraging Anchor for Your Week

Is Your Planning Making Room for What Matters?

What if better planning starts by asking God what deserves your YES and trusting Him with what grows?

Hey Reader!

Just this week, I woke up on what I thought was a glorious Friday morning, only to realize it wasn't Friday...it was Thursday! I was so depleted that I had the entire day of the week wrong!

I hadn't exercised since Monday, and somewhere along the way, I realized I'd started losing touch with who I am...and more importantly, WHOSE I am.

The thing is, I was checking boxes and felt "on task."

So, yeah...

From the outside, it looked like I was moving in the right direction. Yet somehow, I wasn't making progress where it mattered most.

I started feeling like I was getting caught in the weeds, like, how did I even end up in this rabbit hole? kind of weeds...when I preach planning, y'all!

Even creative thinking felt exhausting. Every time I sat down to write, the words wouldn't come. Projects that normally energized me started to feel like another item on my to-do list. Everything became a "have to" when I'm that Jesus-Girl who genuinely loves living from a "get to."

Something was clearly off.

The more I sat with it, the more I recognized the truth.

I had been saying YES to all the wrong things. Not bad things, just things that weren't contributing to the results I had been faithfully praying for.

Somewhere along the way, I'd confused being busy with being fruitful.

I'd become so distracted by the busyness that made me feel productive that I never stopped to ask if I was actually producing the fruit I'd been praying for.

As I came to that realization, in a way that only God can, He brought something back to my core that I hadn't thought about in quite some time: the Pareto Principle, better known as the 80/20 Rule.

Not because I suddenly wanted to become more productive. But because I started wondering if the same principle had quietly crept into my spiritual life.

If you've never heard of it, here's the short "Dorene" version…(still true though).

Back in the 1800s, an Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto noticed that roughly 80% of Italy's land was owned by just 20% of the population. Cool observation...but it probably would've stayed an Italy fun fact if Joseph Juran hadn't come along decades later and basically said, "Hold on...I think Pareto was onto something much bigger."

And then Joe (Juran) realized that same pattern seemed to show up almost everywhere.

What Joe realized? That 80% of our results often come from roughly 20% of our efforts. Business. Finances. Home. Leadership. Productivity. Relationships. All areas of life, my friend. Like, everything.

And you know what? I've legitimately recognized that Joe isn't wrong. For years, I've really taken note of the 80/20 Rule in all of my planning and have seen some seriously amazing results.

But this time, God wasn't showing it to me through the lens of my planner (or Joe Juran, for that matter). He was showing it to me through the lens of what I was prioritizing (and of course, I was a hot mess and running around like a chicken without a head).

Here's the thing: we can sow all day long. We can check every box, finish every task, and be busy doing a whole lot of good things. But if we're continually sowing into places God hasn't called us to sow in this season, how can we expect to produce the fruit we've been praying for?

Maybe that's where the real shift happens.

When we stop asking God to bless everything we've decided to plant and start asking Him to show us where He wants us to sow in the first place.

What deserves our YES? Where should we invest our time? What needs our attention in this season, and what might He be asking us to release?

Because when Jesus is truly at the center, purposeful planning becomes less about trying to control every outcome and more about surrendering where we're planting our seeds and trusting Him with what grows. As His Word reminds us:

Isn't that a beautiful thought? When true surrender to Him happens, that's where TRUE happiness, joy, peace, focus, and creativity are birthed. Trusting in Him and relying on Him to direct our steps as we make our plans is where we find that powerful confidence in Him that only He can provide.

Let's rest on this scripture for a moment. Let it sink in...

I pray that those words resonate with you and remind you that with GOD NOTHING is impossible. All things are HIM-POSSIBLE when we're focused on Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us.

So, yeah, getting back to the 80/20 Rule. The one where I have decided to focus my planning on submitting those 20% of tasks to my Savior and trusting Him with the success of the 80%.

Enough with the random busyness, enough with the yesses that are simply to people-please and offer ourselves a sense of self-gratification.

It's one life. Just one. One that I pray we will glorify God each day with every moment He's blessed us with. I pray that we will choose to make that one decision that will bring greater results into our lives—results that glorify Him, bring joy, and bless others. 💞

Prayer of the Week

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the time, gifts, opportunities, and relationships You have entrusted to us. Forgive us for the moments when we’ve allowed busyness to convince us that we’re being fruitful, or when we’ve said yes to things You never asked us to carry.

Lord, help us recognize where You are calling us to sow in this season. Give us the wisdom to know what deserves our YES, the courage to release what doesn’t, and the discipline to faithfully tend to what You have placed before us.

When we are tempted to control every outcome, remind us that our responsibility is obedience—the growth belongs to You.

Help us make our plans with open hands, trusting that You will establish our steps. Quiet the distractions that pull us away from You and give us discernment to recognize the work that truly matters.

And Father, as we surrender our plans, priorities, and expectations to You, help us trust that You can do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine.

May the fruit of our lives always point back to You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Challenge For The Week

Find Your 20%.

Before you plan another week, add another task, or give another YES, take a few quiet minutes with Jesus and look at everything currently competing for your time and attention.

Ask yourself:

• What is producing fruit in this season?
• What am I continuing to do simply because I've always done it—or because I don't want to disappoint someone?
• What might God be asking me to release so I can make room for what He's growing?

Then pray over your list and identify the few things—the 20%—that you genuinely believe deserve your YES right now.

This week, instead of trying to do everything, intentionally sow your time, energy, and attention there.

And then? Trust God with the 80%.

Remember, purposeful planning isn't about getting more done. It's about making room for what God is calling you to do. 🥰

In Love and Christ,

Dorene Elizabeth

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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