Never mistake motion for action

"Never mistake motion for action." Ernest Hemingway

Fall is crazy. Just when you're getting used to the summer breezes, lazy evenings and cookouts, September comes along and slaps you back into reality.

-School supplies -Practices -Email piling up -Curriculum meetings -Orientations -Coworkers back from vacation (which means more meetings and email)

And before you know it, you're neck high in obligations, treading water. How quickly we can go from relaxing to survival mode. Some days, I feel as though the harder I work and the more email I write, the more I sink. But if you ignore the demands of life, the dishes and laundry will still pile up.

The days are a blur and if you blink long enough it'll be friday again. Where does the time go? I know I did a lot of stuff, but what did I actually get accomplished? All I know is that ...

THIS IS NOT A PLAN.

I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a rat race simply reacting to circumstances and dodging problems. I don't just want to do a lot of stuff. So what do we do?

We need mile markers to help us determine if we are making mileage in the right directions. I'm not asking if you are busy. I'm asking if you are doing something that matters. Are you moving closer to your dreams? Are your priorities getting the necessary investments of time, energy and prayer?

This post isn't a how-to with "4 ways to lead a more productive life." It's a reminder that what you and I face is common to man. We all are tempted to keep our heads down and hands on the plow. My challenge is that you look up and notice the result of your decisions.

Are you where a younger version of you dreamed you would be?

If something doesn't shift, will you be proud of the life you will have lived?

Let's spend our days not just keeping busy, but investing into significance.