Today's Baby Steps post (Day 21) is about margins and how we either fill them in or fill them up. A good basis for this post would be to read this- about the P31 Woman.
I’m an “ish” woman – and that means I look at time within the frame of margins and I choose to fill them in – rather than up.
I purposely look at what daily and weekly tasks (making MIP - Make It Priority lists) are necessary for me to accomplish so that I can create sanctuary.
When I make my daily/weekly MIP lists my husband is in the forefront of my thinking. He's my priority.
MY Margins have purpose
I also purposely add to my margins time with priority relationship connections that I enjoy: husband, daughters and their husbands, grandchildren and my community of faith family. Included in my margins is time for a Coffee Talk group and those women I mentor.
Speaking of those I mentor - I don't take time, give time, make time on those women not serious about doing the work it takes to follow Jesus on the Straight Path. That might sound not so nice, but in twenty - five plus years I've learned that there are those women who think they want to follow Jesus, but when there's a close look at what the entails, they don't really. I won't waste time.
ISH Woman
My “ish” means that dinner will be served at 6 ish or it means that I’ll get out the door to go shopping around 10 ish. I do not bind myself to a specific time where I must accomplish a specific task, but what I am aware of are my margins of time where I know that certain tasks or relationship connections need to be accomplished.
When I lock myself in to something like this (and I have):
Make bed – 8:00 am
Make coffee – 8:15 am
Start devotions – 8:20 am
Shower – 8:35 am . . . etc, I’d end up rigid and bark orders because time and task were the priority for accomplishment rather than relationship.
It’s margins that offer me peace, flexibility and a sense of accomplishment where my priorities are people and not task.
BALANCE between people and tasks
When there is the balance between caring for people and accomplishing tasks, I find that I end up doing just what is necessary for the day – without feeling overwhelmed.
My “to do” list and my “schedule” is NOT rigid but rather it's based on the MIP - Make IT Priority Tasks for the day or the week. In my Simple Home Notebook, I keep a running "to do" list that I'll write about later.
How do you balance people and tasks to create sanctuary? What do you consider your priority task on a daily basis? What are you tackling today?
See you in a day or ish!
4 comments:
I think this is something I have been struggling with lately. I don't have set hours for work yet I know in advance in most cases. I really needed to get focussed on my MIP again. Thank you for helping me refocus my time and priorities. I will let you know how I am doing.... time for lunch.
hi there lovely mrs. s....so glad i could give another perspective...can't wait to see your MIP's...
bless your day!
I'm right with you on the mentoring deal, I simply can't waste time when the girls don't really want to follow Jesus. A lot of times they just want to dump everything on me, and I do mean everything, but counselors and friends are a great place for that!
i knew i liked you! thanks...and i've we've got to nail down our coffee connection!
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