Four Signs that You May Not Doing Enough

Just as I have been a victim to overwhelming myself by not knowing when to say no, I have also suffered from the opposite pitfall, under-committing and saying no too often.  It is not always easy to find the right balance and there are many other indicators, but these were the top four that came to my mind. 

You Can’t Feed Your Family

While there may be other reasons for you not being able to feed your family, it could be due to inactivity.  King Solomon said that, “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23, ESV).  If you’re not eating then start working.  Money doesn’t buy food, work does. 

Avoiding Common Work

Most self-made people who are successful have started at the bottom and done what I call the common work.  They have cleaned the toilets, filed paperwork, or dusted the office.  If you find yourself pawning off all the little jobs, then you may be guilty of not doing enough. 

No Progress

People who are not doing enough do not make progress in life.  They are not people of action.  They aren’t getting pay increases, good grades, or acknowledgements.  These should not be the sole motivators but they can be a good measuring stick of your activity level. 

People Are Talking

On the other hand, you could be getting a lot of acknowledgement—just in a bad way.  If people are talking about your work ethic, or you are getting snippy answers that you sense an underlying meaning to, then you may not be doing enough. 

While not totally unrelated but slightly off topic, the Bible is very clear about what happens to people who are not diligent.  People who are greedy, lazy, idle, dreamers, or sleep-lovers, will suddenly and unexpectedly be poor, poorly dressed, hungry, and they will not sleep well (Proverbs 6:9-11; 10:4-5; 14:23; 23:21; Ecclesiastes 5:10-12).

I can’t say that these are surefire ways to tell if you should increase your workload, but I can say they are possible indicators.  Chances are that if you think you need to step it up a notch or two, then it wouldn’t hurt to do so.  By the way, if you want to Break your Nature, then you will have to become a person of action.  Talk is cheap. 

Nick Massey is a Life Coach, Speaker, and Writer.  To read more from Nick Massey, or to schedule him for a Life Coaching session, or book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at http://www.coachmassey.com. © 2014 Nick Massey