It's About Time

Posted on February 2, 2023

My life is filled with rather constant activity, and I’m usually on the go from morning to bedtime with little rest. This week is no exception and has actually been busier than usual. In fact, my blog is a day late as a result. This has led to me feeling swamped, disordered and confused. I have multiple responsibilities as a kennel owner, life coach, wife and mother. Roughly one-third of my day is filled with kennel duties leaving the rest of the time for my coaching business, household management and sleeping. Somewhere in there I want to spend time with my family, take part in my hobbies and practice self-care. To be honest, this has been an ongoing struggle for me. Just when I think I’m taking control, some new event transpires, and the enemy steals my power (because I let him). Thankfully, I’ve learned that I can choose to react by giving up my control or I can be diligent with my time and be blessed.

Are you a list maker? I used to be a huge fan and I would have lists all over the house. I even made lists for my kids and husband. I found it rewarding to check the boxes. It provided visual proof that I completed something, and it felt good. That feeling, however, was short-lived because as soon as I checked something off, I added something new. It’s funny that if you look hard enough, you will always find something to replace the finished tasks. It’s a cycle that can steal your joy, and before you know it, you’re old, tired and full of regrets over what you really wanted to do in life but didn’t.

I don’t know about you, but when I get lost in the temporal things, I seem to forget that everything is a choice. Busyness is as much an option as what I’m having for dinner. Directly or indirectly, we consciously make decisions every day based on our thoughts. When I get inordinately immersed in the daily projects, I start focusing on time. I’ll say there’s not enough of it in the day. I don’t have time for this or that. What I’ve recently learned is that I perpetuate my overwhelm by the way I speak about it. The more I talk about the time I don’t have, the less I seem to accomplish. For that reason, I’ve started to say I’m choosing to do this activity which gives me authority over it. I can’t change time, but I can determine how I want to live in it, and so can you.

Scripture says to come to God when you’re weary and burdened, and He will give you rest. When you take time out of your hectic day to spend with God, you can be still and let Him do work in you. You weren’t meant to live a crazy, burdened life, but many of us do nevertheless. So how can you be intentional with your time?

One course of action is to ask the Lord what He wants you to do and commit your plans to Him. He gives you a choice to walk in your own will or in His and wants to be involved in your everyday experiences. If you allow Him to shape your life, you will find success, and He will get the glory. It will also bring you closer to Him and could lead to something even greater and unexpected.

You can also prioritize your tasks by asking, “which of these are contributing to my basic needs or personal growth?” If they're not, they may not be suitable for the top of your list. Maybe organizing the closet and folding laundry are not as important as taking a class or making dinner and can be done in increments during any remaining open time slots. Incidentally, scrolling social media and binge watching a favorite show are not likely to be priorities.

Lastly, you can create some strategies that work for you. For example, I’ve made a list of all of my usual responsibilities and divided them up into categories. The first is what needs to be done to serve my family such as the kennel, cooking and paying bills. The second one is what activities are leading towards my transformation. These include such things as hobbies, learning and self-care. The third group entails the rest of the chores that have value and may provide comfort but aren’t fulfilling any immediate needs such as dusting and cleaning out the refrigerator. Once I created my list, I strategically placed the first two categories in my calendar. In the remaining time periods, I can choose to add some of the third group activities and break them up into fifteen minute frames. I’ve done pieces of this for a while, and some of it is new. A recent coaching session I had with my own life coach helped me develop a more comprehensive strategy.

Whatever approach you take to manage yourself, make certain that it honors God because you can’t go wrong if you do. Truthfully, life isn’t about how much we can pack into a day. It’s about living life fully and enjoying it abundantly.

Matthew 11: 28-29 (NIV) Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest in your souls.

I’d love to know how you master your time, and I welcome any questions or comments.

Always choose joy!