This seems to be many people, going at life at an unsustainable pace that is headed towards total burnout.

I have been grateful for the recent pastor/churchplanters conferences that I have attended.  I have also been reading many books on health in all areas(Mad Church Disease:Avoiding Burnout Epidemic; Eat, Sleep, Move; Emotionally Healthy Spirituality; How Full is Your Bucket; Receiving the Day and lots others).

I really want to focus on health for 2014 in all areas: spiritually, mentally, relationally and physically.

I want to be a good steward of the hours and days God has given me.

Andy Stanley in his book,Choosing to Cheat asks the question: when family and work collide- which one wins?  We have to choose family over work.  Either our families are going to get cheated because we work too much or work will get cheated because we made our family a priority.  I just recently heard someone sharing how they work 60-80 hours a week and get barely any sleep.  That sounds like a losing situation: family is cheated and personal health is cheated because no time is made for sleep, exercise etc.

I cannot be the best Kimi I am supposed to be if don’t sleep enough.  In the book, Eat, Move, Sleep I read about how seriously important it is to get 7-8 hours of sleep.  It is not just a luxury but needed for optimal health.

I cannot be all God has made me to be if I am unhealthy physically.  If I eat junk, I will have less energy and likely sick more often.  I want to have health and energy for myself but also for my husband and kids.

I want to be healthy mentally and relationally so I am reading books that help me to grow.  I want to read books that help me become a better wife, mom and friend.  I don’t want to have unresolved conflict in my life that eats away at me so I am trying to grow in conflict resolution.  I also want to work on baggage from my past.  Things have to be dealt with and not swept under the rug.  I am learning conflict is good, an opportunity for growth.

At a recent conference the speaker talked about the RPMs of our life.  It is as though our life has these dials from 0 to 10 (0 being not doing so good, 10 being awesome).

•  R being relationally, how am I doing?  With my spouse? kids? family? friends?
• P being physically, how am I doing?  How am I sleeping? Am I making exercise a priority? How is my energy level?
• M being mentally, how am I doing? Emotionally? Intellectually? What am I learning? What am I reading?
• S being spiritually, how am I doing? How am I doing in pursuing after God?  How am I connecting with God?