Create More Time
Time off over Christmas and New Year’s is a great opportunity to assess the past year and figure out what you need to prioritize and accomplish in the coming year. There are a million and one blogs on new year’s resolutions, etc etc etc… I’m going to take a different approach and challenge you to look at this time a little differently.
As our family has grown, I’ve realized how fast time flies by and just how valuable every minute is. We spend time working to support our families and give back to those around us through what we accomplish at work. God gave all of us unique abilities, and our work is a great way to utilize those skill sets to make a difference. We also have a finite amount of time outside of work to spend with our families and friends. The older I get the shorter that time seems to be, even though I know, materially, it’s relatively the same amount of hours.
To help with this, I challenge you to do something simple that will help “create” more time to spend on things that matter:
Sit down and make a quick list:
-Outside of hours spent at work (ideally sticking to your actual schedule and not overworking just to put in more hours), list out the top 5 things that take the most time from your mornings and evenings.
-From there, look at each item and decide if A) it’s a worthy expenditure of time and B) you’re accomplishing what the goal of that item is in most efficient way you can.
-If it’s not a worthy expenditure of your time, remove it from the things you do (aka, netflix binging, facebook debates, etc).
-If it’s a valuable item in your day, see if there is a way to make it take less time. For example, can you insta/crock pot something for dinner quicker than another cooking method Mon-Thurs to give you some extra time with your family in the evenings?
Once you’ve walked through this for each of the items on your list and you have extra time, block that time out in your day for your family, friends, or even for yourself to do something you enjoy that will help you grow (read a book, work on a hobby etc). For me, once we get home from working out, I have time for my family blocked out until we all go to bed. I do my best (not always successfully), to ignore text messages, emails, and stay off social media during those couple of hours. Obviously, some work items must be dealt with, for some of us with 24/7 requirements, but you can still prioritize how you respond or spend time on things so you maximize focus on your family.
You can do this every couple of months and each time you’ll get more efficient and end up with more time to spend on things that truly matter. This time of year is a good excuse to start a new habit like this and enjoy the benefits in the months and years to come.
Have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy the gift of extra time!
Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.