See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16)
Do you feel like you need more hours in a day? I certainly do. Whenever I don’t accomplish all that I wanted to, I blame it on time. It is easier to blame a lack of time than to look at how I am managing the time that I have. Managing time is like managing money. It is limited. I know how much I have, and when it is spent, there is no more. The challenge is to make the best of what I have.
I am doing a little exercise to help in this process. It begins with deciding whether my time is negotiable or not. Some of the things I have to do are non-negotiable, things like work and sleep. I need eight hours for work and sleep, respectively. There are days when I function on much less than eight hours of sleep, but that is not ideal. How I spend those remaining eight hours gives is negotiable, and they do not have to be spent on the same thing each day.
I allocate my flexible time according to my roles. Roles like mother, wife, pastor, volunteer, teacher, etc. There have been days when I focus on only one role, based on need and urgency. This gives me a greater sense of accomplishment. I am not trying to spread myself around for the sake of time.
I began this process with prayer, ask God to help me strike a healthy balance. In prayer, I ask for the ability to take care of myself in the process of fulfilling all of my roles. I realize how important it is to make good use of time, because you can never get back what you lose.
I pray that you will be able to prioritize your life and do the things that matter. God is available to help us in our time of need. Call upon him in prayer.
God bless you.
