Rising costs and full plates have pushed many goals to someday. A delayed season can still carry a faithful next step.
By EEW Magazine Online Editors
One in four U.S. adults put their futures on hold over the past year, according to the American Psychological Association.
Maybe you’ve been thinking about returning to school, changing careers, buying a home, or starting a business. You have the desire, perhaps even a carefully thought-out plan. Yet every time you consider the next step, the cost of living climbs again, someone you love needs you, or your own health asks for more than you can give.
Eventually, a goal that once excited you becomes something you hope to revisit when life calms down.
You have plenty of company. A new Stress in America report from the American Psychological Association (APA) found that 26% of U.S. adults put their futures on hold over the past year because of stress, uncertainty, or feeling overwhelmed. Nearly three in five said they felt they were doing everything right and still falling behind.
Sometimes waiting is the wise choice. In a season of survival, setting a dream aside until you have room to carry it is an act of stewardship.
The trouble starts when the waiting begins to tell you who you are. Tight finances start to sound like a verdict on your ability. A long illness leaves you wondering whether you still have anything meaningful to offer. Years of pouring into everyone else can persuade you, a little at a time, that your own hopes have stopped counting. Eventually, the hardest obstacle to move is the story you have started believing about yourself.
That story often disguises itself as patience. You promise yourself you’ll begin once the money loosens, your strength returns, or the people you care for need you less. Ecclesiastes 11:4 describes where that leads: “He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap” (KJV).
Wisdom prepares and discerns, then plants without waiting for a guaranteed outcome.
Farmers study the sky carefully, yet none can command the weather. Two verses later, the Preacher urges diligence anyway: “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand,” since no one knows which effort will prosper.
Wisdom prepares and discerns, then acts without a guaranteed outcome. For one woman, that means stepping into a well-considered opportunity. Another may need a year to prepare, or a different route toward the purpose she has been carrying.
Three questions can help you find your next step. What do I still want to accomplish? What specifically stands between me and that goal today? What is one manageable action I can take with the time, money, and energy I have right now?
If tuition is the barrier, that action might be calling a financial aid office. If you want a different job, it might be updating your résumé or reconnecting with a former colleague. A future homeowner can pull her free credit report or meet with a HUD-approved housing counselor. An aspiring entrepreneur can price her startup costs before spending a dime.
When exhaustion, illness, or caregiving is the main obstacle, the next step may be asking for help or protecting time for rest. That counts as progress too.
Talk it through with people you trust. A mentor can help you weigh an opportunity, and a church family can surround you with prayer and practical help. If anxiety or stress is affecting your everyday life, a licensed mental health professional can be part of caring for yourself.
The APA’s findings carry a hopeful note. Despite widespread stress, 72% of adults said they still feel they have at least some control over their futures.
Think about the goal you keep returning to, the one that surfaces when the house gets quiet. Whatever season you are in, keep sowing. Your future is still worth preparing for.
