Time Making…

About a year ago now a project I worked with released a book on taking time management to the next level. A book was published, a planner printed and for about four months I was immersed in more philosophies in life and time management than I would have read in a similar period of time.  Time management is always a part of my life, as a teacher it was about making all the wonderful experiences fit in a six hour day. As a mom it was about how to make sure each of four children get quality time with us as individuals and as a couple. As leaderships in a direct sales  for a national brand, it was about fitting in the calls and follow up. We fit or choose not to fit things into our lives based on our desire and awareness of their importance to our minds and hearts.

At forty-eight, my views are changing, how about yours?  A pragmatic person by nature, I often have the work ethic of work first play later as part of my early upbringings rules of play. As an adult, however, I find that because I am a creative, time for play not only makes me a better creative, but a more efficient one too. The life I have chosen to live involves a good deal of giving, creating, figuring out and sharing, all things I love to do, but all things that wear on one’s reserves of strength, mind, heart, and soul if done without time to rejuvenate.

After the four months working within the concepts of the project on time management, my awareness of my own “lesson plan for life” was acute.  As an educator I had been trained to keep a daily lesson plan that involved stating objectives for each hour and measures for evaluating that success in activities. I like that methodology of life, it has worked for me to win cars, to spend appropriate time on projects, and to make sure deadlines are handled.  However this year, I have decided for my forty-eighth birthday to me that it will also involve making sure 20% of my waking life at least 3 times per week is spent in celebration of that which I love…whether it be fellowship with family or friends, participating in activities I love, or simply taking time to be still and drink in all that God has given me. Keeping that as a module on my daily life plan surely makes it easier to focus its importance. New boundaries on that schedule including exercise, fellowship, and time for self-nurturing activities also matter. You see to give, I have to receive…or I simply run dry.

A big commitment. That means if there are 16 hours I am awake each day, that I will spend about 7-9 hours a week doing something I celebrate while doing. That is a big amount of time in a week to focus on what I formerly considered “frivolous” time that I might not could afford.The first weeks of the new awareness have led to amazing experiences already…things have been sorted, changed, re-prioritized or let go, my involvements with people have also changed, more aligned to a lifestyle of engagement that creates a world in which I wish to live and give to others. It’s been a difficult pruning season as I tend to want to to make everything fit, but the realities are that nothing is done well if one isn’t focused on it at least while working or playing on that topic.

hmmmm

Why is it that we often believe others are well within good sense to enjoy their life but looking at a stack of work or play  I somehow believed that the work had my name on it the play someone elses.

Mind shift.

Friday was my birthday. In some year past I might have worked most of the day, then had  quiet dinner with family after delivering a few special friends gifts to share with them the joy they bring me.  This year I chose to take the day off. To completely do with abandon those things I love doing. Lunch with a friend, driving with the top down on the car taking in the beauty of the Tennessee hillsides, shopping with my daughter, delivered hand tied roses to friends and clients I adore, danced to the street band at Bridge Street, bought a special outfit and dined with my husband outdoors at a favorite restaurant.

and then

I played in the fountain at Bridgestreet because for four years my daughter has wanted to do so and each time it was a day where we were headed to an appointment, dressed for business, or some other excuse as to why we could not…

but sometimes there just has to be time making…

What is it you’ve not allowed yourself to be? do? have? give? share?…..isn’t it time you do some time making?