Are You Living While You're Achieving?

What I’m learning about making everyday matter.

Last week, I wrote about giving myself permission to live — to celebrate myself, enjoy the life God has given me and stop feeling as though I always need to be moving towards the next thing.

But afterwards, another question stayed with me:

What does it actually mean to live the life God has given me?

Because I don't want to stop growing. I still want something to wake up for. I want to contribute, discover new things, deepen my relationships, do meaningful faith work and use what God has given me to touch lives.

I don't want a life without aspirations.

But I'm beginning to realise that aspiration doesn't always have to mean achievement.

For most of my life, I measured a meaningful day by what I had achieved or how productive I had been. I wanted to feel that I had got something out of the day.

Now I'm beginning to ask a different question.

What if living well is also about being present enough to receive what the day is giving me?

When did meaning become so closely connected to doing?

I've been thinking about some of the things I loved when I was younger.

I loved baking. I enjoyed riding my bike. I did these things simply because they brought me joy.

There wasn't an outcome attached to them. I wasn't measuring whether the time had been productive.

I simply enjoyed them.

Lately, I've found myself wanting to rediscover some of those things — not necessarily because the activities themselves are important, but because of who I was when I did them.

There was joy without an agenda.

Perhaps part of living fully in this season isn't only about finding more things to accomplish. Perhaps it is also about rediscovering parts of myself that became quieter while I was busy building a life.

Pause & Reflect

How often do we decide whether a day has been worthwhile by what we managed to accomplish?

What might we be overlooking because it doesn't look productive?

A conversation. Laughter around a table. Time with someone we love. Rest. Discovering something new. Doing something simply because it brings us joy.

These things may never appear on a list of achievements.

But that doesn't make them meaningless.

What I'm Learning

I'm learning that I don't have to choose between purpose and enjoyment.

And I'm certainly not learning that achievement doesn't matter.

I still believe in having dreams, developing what God has placed within us, building, growing and making meaningful use of our lives. There are still things I want to do and ways I want to contribute.

What is changing is my belief that life somehow happens after those things.

I don't want to arrive at the next destination only to immediately start looking for the one after it. I want to experience the journey there — to celebrate the milestones, enjoy the people walking alongside me and notice who I am becoming.

I still want to achieve. I just don't want to forget to live while I'm achieving.

I've seen enough of life to know that titles, possessions and success cannot guarantee peace, good health, joy or meaningful relationships. We can spend years building something and discover that we never learned how to enjoy what we built.

Recently, I said something during a conversation with friends: enjoy what you have today and trust God for tomorrow.

If you would love to go out for dinner but can't afford the top restaurant yet, that doesn't mean life has to wait. If McDonald's is what you can comfortably afford today, go. Enjoy your meal, the company and the moment.

You can still look forward to the beautiful restaurant tomorrow.

Enjoying today doesn't mean you've stopped believing for more.

Aspiration and appreciation can live in the same life.

A Small Step This Week

Alongside asking, “What do I need to get done today?”, try asking:

“What is this day giving me that I don't want to miss?”

It may be something very ordinary.

The small step is simply to notice it — and allow yourself to receive it.

Reflection Question

Have I been so focused on making my days count that I've forgotten to experience them?

Faith Reflection

I don't believe God calls us to a passive life.

Scripture speaks about fruitfulness and faithfully using what has been entrusted to us. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we are created for good works, while Jesus speaks in John 15 about bearing fruit.

There is purpose in our lives. There are things to build, gifts to use and contributions to make.

Ecclesiastes 3:12–13 also speaks about doing good, eating, drinking and finding satisfaction in our work — and describes the ability to enjoy these things as a gift from God.

Isaiah 65:21 gives us another beautiful picture: people will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

They build — and inhabit.

They plant — and enjoy the fruit.

Both matter.

Perhaps living faithfully isn't about choosing between purpose and enjoyment. It is learning to build without forgetting to inhabit, to plant without forgetting to taste the fruit, and to recognise that enjoying what God has already given us can itself be an expression of gratitude.

Prayer

Lord, I pray for the person reading this today.

Thank you for the life you have given them and for the gifts, opportunities and purpose you have placed within them.

Give them courage to build, grow, contribute and bear fruit. But as they pursue what is ahead, help them not to miss what you have already placed around them.

Where they have been postponing joy, help them to become present again. Teach them to aspire for tomorrow while receiving the gift of today.

May they live with purpose, gratitude and joy, aware of your presence in both the extraordinary and ordinary moments of life.

Amen.

Confidence Mantra

I can pursue what is ahead without missing what is here. I will live purposefully, receive today with gratitude and look towards tomorrow with hope.

A Gentle Coaching Invitation

Maybe the question isn't simply, “What am I doing with my life?”

Perhaps another question deserves our attention too:

“Am I present for the life I am already living?”

Sit with that question this week and notice what comes up.

Be Encouraged

A life well lived isn't measured only by how much we achieve.

It is also found in how deeply we love, how fully we are present, how generously we contribute, how willingly we grow and how gratefully we receive what is already here.

Keep dreaming. Keep building. Keep growing. Keep believing for more.

But don't wait until you arrive to start living.

There is still more ahead.

But there is also life here today.

And I don't want to miss it.

You are born to shine.

I. Arise & Shine | iarisenshine.com