When you’re looking for a sign, and then you get it.

For the past few months, I’ve been wrestling with some difficult business decisions. I wouldn’t really call it a crisis, per se. Nothing is on fire. It’s not really an emergency.

It’s more the big LIFE question of where to focus my time and energy.

It’s certainly not a question that is unique to me or my situation, but I’ve spent a lot of time praying specifically for clarity. 

Truth be told, I’ve been waiting for God to send me some kind of sign. To make things crystal clear.

Have you ever asked for that? Just tell me what to do, God.

I have friends who tell me they hear God speaking to them all the time, but that’s never been the case for me. I’ve heard the voice of God only twice in my life.

Once, while driving alone, I very clearly heard God say “Just write, and I will take care of the rest.” It was just after I started my blog and long before I wrote my first book.

The second time happened a short time later, at church, when I heard God say “This is why I saved your life all those years ago. You’re here to tell your story.”

Both times it was as clear as someone whispering in my ear. And it’s why I write.

But I’ll be honest, lately I have often found myself longing for a follow-up message.

What should I be writing about? Am I going in the right direction? Is this the path you have for me?

For months, I’ve heard nothing but silence. No clarity. No answers.

Until this past week. 

On Thursday, my husband and I attended a memorial service for the mom of one of our dearest friends. While we were there, we ran into some other dear friends, an older couple we hadn’t seen in a while—I’ll call them John and Carol.

They’re both in their 80s, but they were always the most active couple I knew. Carol played tennis regularly while John used to ride his bike for miles every day. They never had children of their own, but adopted our girls as surrogate grandchildren. They were active in church, and had a wonderful circle of friends.

But the past few years have been rough. John has had a number of health issues, and now needs dialysis three days a week. On top of that, the condo complex where they live was badly flooded during both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton this year. While their unit escaped the worst of the flooding, they lost both their cars and have had to deal with months of stress.

Their once vibrant life has been reduced to doctor’s appointments and insurance claims.

As we chatted, Carol told me, “I never would have thought that my life could get so small. I realize now that I took it all for granted.”

And then she gave me this warning: “Don’t waste it. Make the most of every day. Spend more time with the people you love. Do all the things you want to do. See all the places you want to go. Because you never know when that won’t be available to you anymore.”

Then on Sunday, we went to a Christmas party hosted by another set of friends—I’ll call them Matt and Tracy. Matt was once a commercial pilot, but a few years ago had a massive stroke and now needs 24 hour care.

Tracy’s words to me at the party echoed what Carol’s: “I never thought this was going to be my life. We had such big plans. And now I can hardly even go out. You just never know. You have to make it count.”

And the message was as clear to me as being slapped across the face.

Stop waiting.

Because next Monday, my husband Chuck will celebrate his 66th birthday.

And the big question I’ve really been wrestling with lately is just how much time and energy I should continue devoting to building my business versus just living my life, or more specifically, focusing on our life together.

The truth is that I love working, and I love what I do. I love setting goals and accomplishing them. I love starting new projects, and I have an almost infinite supply of new ideas.

But for the past few years, especially since starting Thinlicious®, I’ve been working almost nonstop. Monday through Friday, I’m up by 4am—and often even earlier—and I’ll usually keep working until 5:30 or 6 at night. I haven’t had a “real” vacation in years. I keep thinking that at some point I’ll slow down, but I don’t.

And while I try not to work too much on the weekends, my Saturdays and Sundays are jam-packed trying to do all the things I ignore during the week—house projects, entertaining friends, meal planning, grocery shopping, organizing our family schedule, meal prep. And it never quite feels like enough. I’m always a little behind. 

Because time is finite. For all of us.

There are 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, and 52 weeks in a year.

Even if you’re super productive, there is only so much you can do.

And so you have to choose.

In one of my favorite books, Juliet’s School of Possibilities, time management expert Laura VanderKam writes, “expectations are infinite. Time is finite. You are always choosing. Choose well.” In the same book she also writes, “‘I don’t have time’ means ‘it’s not a priority.’ We always have time for what matters to us.”

In other words? How you spend your time determines what you value most.

And no one knows how much time you’ll be given.

So that means that whatever you want to do, need to do, or have to do must somehow fit within those margins. You don’t get extra time. There’s no extra innings. You don’t get to do it over. 

What you get is what you get.

This week what I got was a pretty clear message that it’s time to shift my priorities and rearrange my time. Not someday. Right now.

And so I did. I’ve already blocked out my calendar and my schedule for 2025. I’ll only be working 3 days a week, instead of 5, and I’m also taking a LOT more time off for vacation. And after next Friday, I’ll be off for the rest of this year.

After months of wrestling with this, I suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of peace that it is the right decision. 

In fact, now that it’s been made, I’m not sure why it was so hard.

And so, my challenge for you this week, as we head into these final days of 2024, is to examine your own priorities. How are you spending your time right now? And how is that a reflection of what you value? Do your priorities align with your schedule? If not, why not? And what would it take to change that?

They’re big questions, friend. Believe me, I know. But they’re worth asking.

As always, live with purpose, and have a joy-filled week!

xoxo, Ruth

This week’s podcast episode…

What’s cooking in my kitchen…

Here’s the recipe I shared last week:

The latest from my Instagram…

Instagram is my jam! If you’re there too, I’d love to connect with you—find me at @RuthSoukup or @ruthsoukupbiz for online business tips!

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