For many of us the saying ‘So much to do and so little time’ rings all too true. Fitting everything required of us into a 24 hour day is at best a stretch and at worst practically impossible. Work, family life, social commitments and sleeping are all the things that need to happen but how do we find a balance and make time for all these necessary components to life.
Priorities
It’s forgivable to find yourself in a cycle of putting work before everything else, after all without work, how would you afford to live, but it’s also true what they say that:
“All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy”
Just as play or time away from work is important for children, we adults also need to make space in our lives for a little down time. It’s how we were made.
The Bible tells us that we were made in God’s image. It also says that after God created the heavens and the earth He took some time to rest. This doesn’t mean sleep (although for some of us, we could do with more of that) but it means time doing something other than work.
Work hard play hard
Wherever you are, be all there! – Jim Elliott
With everything that needs to be achieved in life, it can be easy to try to multitask and split your focus. This isn’t always helpful. If you are able to give your attention to one area of your life at a time, you will probably find that you’re more productive and achieve greater results than if you try to accomplishing too many things at one go. If you’re working, work hard! Make your time count and do the job at hand to the best of your ability. If you’re spending time with your family or friends, make it worthwhile. Don’t be distracted by other things and dilute the moments you spend with your loved ones.
A happy medium
Finding that perfect balance isn’t always easy. It takes a bit of effort, thought and sometimes disciple to make sure you’re giving enough time to all aspects of your life. Sadly for many, it’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed and guilty that you’re spending too much of your time on one area and neglecting another. Becoming emotional or beating your self up isn’t going to fix the problem though. You need to be proactive and start intentionally allocating time to those things that are more important to you. Make dates with friends, even family members. Schedule in time when you give all your attention to those you love, without interruption. Make space in your day for some personal time, if you need it. Treat these things as you would business appointments and make yourself unavailable for anything else.
Times and seasons
We often believe that balance means consistent timetables and everything working like clock-work in perfect routine, but life isn’t this measured. There are seasons and times for everything. One day you many need to put the majority of your effort and time into a project for work and everything else needs to take a back seat. On another day you may need to prioritise your family and let a colleague carry the bulk of responsibility at work. It may not look balanced on the surface but on the larger scale you shift your weight as the seasons demand.
The Bible tells us that there is a season for everything. Some days we reap and some days we sow. The wisdom is knowing what to do on which day and giving your all to that which is needed.