Thursday, October 4, 2012

Time, I want more.


Let’s face it.  We all want have multiple areas in life that we want to do well in.  Things that matter to us.  Without a doubt these things, if done right, require time from us.  Time is a finite resource, and we only get so much of it before we leave this world.  Question is, can we some how have enough focus on the things that matter to us without sacrificing one or more of them?

Here is my list of things I want to spend time on.

My faith
My wife
My daughter
My son
My Friends
Family (brothers, parents, aunts, uncles, grandmas, cousins, nephews, in-laws)
Church and church activities (Small group, connectors, fundraisers)  
House and household duties (Cleaning, Repairs, Cooking – eating better than box dinners)
Coaching Cross Country
Career and continuing with my part-time job, attending 1-3 nightly meetings a week.
Finances – spending time going over the family budget.
Exercising
Volunteering – all pro dad/school activities/Rotary/volunteering at school
Reading and learning
Rest – getting 8 hours of sleep a night, keeping Sunday afternoons activity free.
Attending local sporting events, and the occasionally Gopher basketball game.

I asked my wife can we do it all?  We concluded, if we do, we have to be intentional, and put everything in the calendar in writing and then stick to the calendar.  Undoubtedly this would leave us with a rigid schedule for each day almost everyday.  Which as I type it, sounds constraining and leaves little room for spontaneity.  That doesn’t sound too appealing either.

Can you prioritize the most important areas of focus and then align your actions with those priorities?    Can you be congruent with your priorities and how you spend your time?

Keep in mind that emergencies will pop-up and require us to temporarily re-allocate our time. 

It’s making a decision on where to spend your time, and then being ok with not spending time on something else.  What will we sacrifice?  Will I be ok with that sacrifice?

Do you know anyone that's figured this out yet?

 

2 comments:

  1. I gave up years ago. I ripped the rudder off the boat and have been adrift - dealing with each thing as it comes up. If I try to plan more than two days out, it would be in vain because no matter how hard I try there is always something unexpected that comes up - and then I fall behind. One day at a time here.

    I do wish you luck. I hope you find the balance you are looking for! Keep us updated with your progress.

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  2. One day at a time... I actually like that approach. As I heard from the Oakes family WTD Win This Day.

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