I think of a sound board when I look at snapshots of my life. There are times when I have space for growth and forward momentum, then others when that becomes a background track.
I met my husband serving in college ministry at church. We chatted over the soundboard before and after meetings. Those interactions became the base of a solid friendship. He attempted to teach me about all the levels of the inputs, faders, how to mix music. Even now, 24+ years later, he still serves in Tech at church. And now our teenagers serve alongside him. I’m still a bit mystified at how it all works (I quickly moved on to serving in other areas of ministry).
One of the things that I did retain volunteering in tech was the idea that levels must be balanced. If everything on the sound board it’s turned up at the same volume it all just sounds like noise. There has to be a mixture of all the instruments, the vocals, the background tracks etc. Depending on the type of music being played or the purpose of the song, the settings on the soundboard will change.
I have found that my capacities change over time.
I think of that visual of a sound board when I look at snapshots of my life. There are times when I have space and capacity for growth and forward momentum. There are other times where that gets turned down to be in the background and I must make space for a focused season of growth in a different area.
Capacity is how much we can handle in a specific area at one time.
Different seasons I have experienced:
- progress in physical health
- personal growth
- educational focus
- travel
- end of school year activities
- difficult parenting seasons
- social opportunities
- grief, rest and quiet
- a very busy season – ex: Summertime with the kids
- emotional growth (usually paired with counseling)
- learning new skills
- fall and winter holidays – the stress of all the Christmas tasks
- decluttering my house (Marie Kondo style room by room)
If I tried to tackle all of these seasons at once I would be frazzled and worn out. It would not go well. So, like the perfect mix of sound, I find balance.
Here is what I am up against: I am an overachiever, with a growth mindset, always pushing myself in new areas, and yet I am learning how to balance my expectations and my energy levels to avoid repeating burnout.
These days it feels like a careful mix.
Finding Balance:
#1 – identify the season
The first step to understanding my capacity is knowing what my focus will be. I need to know what I am headed towards and what I am letting go of for this season. For me, this involves looking at the calendar, my yearly goals, and doing some journaling.
#2 – decide what is most important
Once I have identified a theme or focus for that season then I prioritize what matters. The approach I take will change based on my expectations and what results I am after.
- Examples:
- difficult parenting seasons – Often the focus is teaching the child new coping or independence skills while also maintaining a loving relationship.
- travel – I hope to experience adventure with my family, experience new environments, and choose to react in a calm way during unexpected situations.
#3 – make a plan
This can look like a simple list or detailed goal-setting. It depends on the theme and focus. Writing something out is helpful to set expectations and milestones. I need to see that I am doing what I set out to accomplish.
When my focus is growing my capacity in different areas what I am looking for is forward motion.
The key is growth.
I want to be farther ahead in my growth journey in a year or two. Looking back I hope to see milestones that I have crossed.
My abilities stretch and change over time.
- I am able to read (and enjoy) books that seemed like gibberish a few years ago.
- My capacity for grief and healing has been stretched this year. I have grown in compassion and understanding in this difficult area.
- In my writing work I have learned new editing skills and upleveled areas of my marketing understanding.
- My physical flexibility has diminished lately (this might need to be a summer fitness goal).
Capacity Definition:
an individual’s mental or physical ability : APTITUDE, SKILL
the faculty or potential for treating, experiencing, or appreciating: capacity for love
the facility or power to produce, perform, or deploy : CAPABILITY, maximum output1
Where do you need to “turn up the volume” in your life?
What areas are you focused on in this season?
I would love to hear your thoughts!
🪴📈💙- April
Cover photo by Mitchell Leach on Unsplash