Ever have it that you get up thinking your day looks pretty good? Your schedule is laid out, you’ve got your meetings lined up, a couple of errands tucked in, and a nice evening planned for back at home.
And then reality hits.
An urgent message comes to you before your first appointment. Your thoughts drift there for a bit. And then while driving, you hear that stupid little ding… your engine light comes on. Ah, that repair order that’s overdue. Thinking of orders, you just realize you forgot that all important document for your appointment.
A little overwhelm presses in, but you just happen to pass by your favourite coffee stop — not in your schedule…… but wow, you need one now. You’ll just call and reschedule that first appointment.
The drive-through is packed, so you park. As you get out vehicle, you realize you forgot your wallet. You hope for that pile of change in the cup holder…. and go back to car to check, open the door, plunk down for a minute, find and count some change, hastily get out, crick your back… ouch, have flashes of those REMAIN CALM memes and want to rewrite one. Now you have to call the chiropractor. You wish you had of just got that stupid smartphone coffee card.
Inside you grab your coffee to go. And then on the way out, you see a magazine on a table with an article related to what you and a friend were just talking about last week, and you go and sit down to read, just for a second. Ah, might as well drop the coat. Just a few minutes. Then a call comes. It’s…… well, your friend… you better take it. Your friend wants some help with someone you really love doing. After chatting for a bit, you order another coffee… “hey let’s meet up!”
And before you know it, you’ve burned up a bunch of that non-renewable resource we call TIME.
Oh well, you’ll just have to rebook some things. Except that your schedule is already jammed because you’ve commited to so many things. You know, they are ALL important. At least you keep telling yourself that.
Does any that sound remotely familiar? You probably have your own stories that you could share.
I wonder if we sometimes loose sight of what’s important, and wrestle with priorotizing.
We are responsible for the time we are given. And of course, not everything that comes at us in a day is within our control. A flat tire, a family emergency, or a health crisis can grind things to a halt. But there are various ways that can assist you in stewarding your time and schedule in things you can control. My favourite is to build in “buffer zones” (for daily items, like an extra 10 minutes for a commute) and “margin” — space where nothing is booked (2 or 3 hours here and there) every week so that some of my days are not entirely full.
Plus the peace and power of saying “No” is huge. I have written more about that here.
Here are 5 things that can help you navigate much of what comes at you each day regarding use of your time. And note that as you steward your time, you automatically steward and bless your relationships.
Daily Reflection for Prioritizing Time & Relationships
1. Core Priorities & Purpose
- Does my schedule today reflect what I say matters most in my life (my faith, my marriage, my family, my health, my work, and so on)?
- Am I letting self-imposed urgent or frivolous tasks crowd out truly important things?
2. Marriage & Relationships
- If my spouse looked at my schedule today, would she feel valued and prioritized?
- Have I intentionally set aside time for meaningful connection with my spouse and family today and/or this week?
3. Energy & Capacity
- Am I scheduling rest and recovery, or am I running myself into exhaustion?
- What is one thing I can remove or say ‘no’ to today that is draining me unnecessarily?
- Are there things in my life I need to quit or back away from?
4. Saying No & Setting Boundaries
- Am I making decisions based on guilt or obligation rather than wisdom and calling?
- Would saying ‘No’ to this allow me to better fulfill the ‘Yeses’ that I am already commited to?
- Would saying ‘No’ pave the way to say ‘Yes’ to something that better aligns?
5. Faith & Perspective
- Am I trusting God with my time, or am I trying to control everything myself?
- Have I made space today to pray, reflect, and realign my heart with God’s priorities?
Time is one of those resources that you can only spend once. Spend it with great care and consideration. We will be held accountable. “What did you do with your time?”
Feel free to share your thoughts or your “time” stories in the comments.
Photo by Jose Fabula on Unsplash
The Artisan Post 