busyness

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“Time” for Change

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When you hear the term “time management,” how do you respond? Do you cringe, or roll your eyes, or break out in a cold sweat? Or does it excite and inspire you? Or – tell the truth, now – have you become numb to the term, so you hardly even notice it anymore?

Whatever your feelings on the subject, it’s one we simply cannot escape. Time management has become its own industry, and in one form or another, a part of daily life. When I started writing this post, I did a search for time management articles and in one second there were 2.8 billion – with a “b” – hits! (As an aside, I nearly got waylaid from this post by my curiosity over whether all cultures struggle this much with “time management,” or if the U.S. is in the lead here…but that’s different research for a different post.)

Frankly, I am a huge fan of time management. Moving things around on the calendar is soothing to me. I coach people on managing their time, and I think it is equal parts art and science. Some folks are born with an innate ability to organize tasks in such a way that they are super productive. I’m one of those people.

However, I confess that sometimes I feel like I’m trying to wrestle my schedule and pin it to the mat, to conquer time itself, and it can feel futile some days! I squeeze things into every slot available, and yet there are more things I feel I need to fit into each day or each week. Even those of us who are pretty good at this game can quickly become overwhelmed.

But God doesn’t. Recently, in prayer time, God blessed me with a new way of looking at “time management,” and it has been a game-changer! And as God tends to do, He made it super simple. It’s a matter of changing one tiny but incredibly significant word: “management.” What if I toss that word out and replace it with the word “stewardship?” So, our new term is “time stewardship.”Ahhhh…think on that one for a moment! Run that over your tongue and around your mind.

Many of us are familiar with the idea of financial stewardship, but not so much time stewardship. What would it look like if I viewed the way I spend my time in the same way I view how I spend my money? I view the money that comes into our home as His money (which it is); I can also choose to view the time I am given each day as if it were His time (which it is)!

This shift of perspective leads me to want to learn what He would say about how to apportion time and tasks. It causes me want to honor Him in how I steward the hours in each day and week. It inspires me to treat the time I have been gifted with greater care and gentleness. With this new dynamic comes a shift of focus; from my wants to His desires for me.

I’m curious to know if this teensy little word change has a similar impact on you! Leave me a comment and let me know!

If you still struggle with how best to steward your time and think you could benefit from some coaching in this area, contact me and we can partner with God and help you get unstuck!

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Feeling the Frenzy?

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I’m talking about all that “stuff” we fill our days with that keeps us on our toes, on edge, and on a path leading to regret and often to some dangerous habits. Sadly, it is often the same “stuff” we get kudos for from family, bosses and everyone who benefits from our “tireless” efforts (reality check: THEY are not tired; we ARE). And let’s face it; too often it’s the stuff we put on ourselves. Frequently we are our own biggest critic and our own biggest cheerleader, encouraging ourselves to fit more in, to feed that frenzy!

Sure, it’s good to be efficient. But I find myself making a game of seeing how much I can squeeze into five minutes, or thirty minutes, all through the day. You’d be surprised; it’s pretty impressive! However, I also find myself getting to the end of far too many days and realizing that I have not experienced the day that has just finished. I mean, I survived it, but that doesn’t mean I experienced it. It’s more like I attacked it with so much focus that I was blinded to the small moments, or even to the potential for those moments. You know, the moments that matter.

While I know we’re all busy during this most unique holiday season, I encourage you, along with me, to carefully weed out the things that don’t matter so much and replace them with only the things that do.

  • Toss your unrealistic intentions. The good intentions that are bound to lead to disappointment should get ruthlessly eliminated right now, before the disappointment and guilt settle in.  That includes things like the hand-made gifts for every teacher in the school district that you want to make, but that you haven’t even purchased the supplies for yet. Or the two-dozen cookie trays consisting of 35 unique cookies per tray that you have been wanting to make (besides the would-be recipients may appreciate that you didn’t add to their guilt come January’s weigh-in!). Even those all-day, back-to-back appointments for work can’t become a habit. Stop it now before you burn out!
  • Prioritize people. Instead of spending hours (or days) making sure the house is immaculate for the holidays, make time for a Zoom party with the friends you can’t meet with face-to-face right now, and with your family from out of state who can’t travel to see you this year. All you have to do is wear relatively clean clothes (or at least a clean shirt, am I right?) and point the camera toward a clean-ish space! Then sit back, relax and enjoy the time you have with them.
  • Make the best of less. Don’t waste tons of time (and money that so many of us are extra short on this year) preparing food for the masses.  Instead, take advantage of smaller gatherings and spend more time playing games with those closest to you. In fact, let everyone choose a dish and cook it; preparation of a smaller-scale meal will be easier to supervise!

I’m sure you have other helpful ideas, and I’d love to read them in the comments!

We’re all a bit off-kilter this year, so give yourself some grace. Give yourself room to breathe and make some time to just do that, to just breathe. The important things will fall into place more easily when you’re rested, calm and feeling fresh instead of frenzied.

Remember: every minute does not have to be jam-packed, no matter what you may be telling yourself. It is better to be available than filled with regret. Most of us have been reminded more this year than ever that life is short. Step away from the laptop. Look up from your to-do list. Notice the people in your life and enjoy them, as you forget about the frenzy.