Schedules and resolutions are made,
but why is time so difficult to manage?
Time’s Up. Seemingly a never-ending cycle of opportunities to invest moments for the here and now or for eternity, in reality, time is an evaporating commodity that we will be accountable for, ultimately having an earthly end. In light of this vacuum called time being temporal, how, then, are we to live?
Discipline. Our intentions might be good, but carrying them out is another matter. It might be that many unforeseen obstacles pile in and interrupt our schedule, or perhaps we did not plan well enough for possible interruptions. Either way, sometimes it takes some good old fashioned “Chutzpah“, determination and will power to push through and accomplish our goals. And sometimes we have to choose to let some things go because maybe we were a little bit too ambitious with our schedule.
Over-booked. Feeling the guilt on this one. The demands in life are ever-increasing and while we try to balance all of our responsibilities, it can be easy to believe we really can do it all. But at what expense? Determining what needs to be pruned is as necessary as we go through life as the items we add to our schedule and life. Making a list of all we do sheds light on the reality of our situation, too. Tools like Evernote can help us to organize our world, but also to see what is maxxing us out.
Realistic Planning. Creating schedules with margin in our lives creates a buffer that can be that added space we need to help us stick to our schedules. Thinking through how long a project might take based on past experience will be more accurate than pie-in-the-sky unrealistic hopes. Building in time for planning as well as moments of reprieve are just as important as the scheduled activities and work for the day. In fact, brief moments set aside can be what fuels our day.
Take a breather. Five minutes built in to every hour to get a drink of water, get out of our chair, grab a snack or stretch can help us to focus. More than a moment, though, we also need to build in days for planning or taking a reprieve, which will help to refocus our plan and give us renewed energy to face the monotony of life.
Balance. Or maybe we can become so regimented that we forget that more important than accomplishing our “to do’s” is investing in the people surrounding us. Building family into our schedule is a “big rock” item that should not be overlooked. More importantly, placing time with God as our first item of the day and throughout our days provides the purpose behind all we do.
Grace. As we seek to honor God with the time He has given and to number our days aright that we might gain a heart of wisdom, we will need to give ourselves grace when we fall short. In that moment of grace we realize we need to look up and see which wall our ladder is leaded up against and then ask God for grace to keep climbing.
Every second, minute, hour, day and year is but a speck in all of eternity, but they count for it, as well. Just like investing our finances can wreck or make a life, investing our time wisely with Kingdom purposes in mind can make or wreck our legacy and possibly our eternity, as well. Don’t take time for granted. Steward it well.
