I don’t know what that one thing is you have yet to try, learn about or start
but I’m guessing you think you don’t have the time or energy for it. I know I’ve felt that way over and over again. I’ve learned five things that have helped me overcome my, “I don’t have time to” mindset.
- You and I have more time than we think.
- A few minutes every day not only matters but adds up to more than you had previously.
- When we value our “stuck” down time, while waiting, we can then make it useful and purposeful.
- When you use your time purposefully, day after day, it will change your perspective and ultimately your future.
- Starting and stopping the project you’re working on, due to time constraints, is better than not doing it at all. This means you are building something and Rome was not built in a day, a week or even a month – neither will your passion, blog, business, or ministry. DO NOT STOP BUILDING!
- Passion and determination coupled with a made up mind will push you past “I cannot” to “I will!”.
I don’t even know what to say, except the frosted lemonade was the perfect “brain interrupt” that I needed after work. Ever just have so much on your plate that when you step away from the office or from that task, you need a short break, with a BIG impact, before moving forward to the next thing.
Details, phone calls, decisions, and the list continues. I walked out of the office, but the office had not walked out of me. Chick-fi-la Frozen Lemonade to the rescue and a few minutes of down time while driving and waiting in school car pick-up lines.
I sat at my son’s school, breathed deep, and drank in all the frozen lemonade milkshake goodness in silence and then began listening to one of my favorite podcast. I needed that shutdown and release of one thing, before switching gears to the next. After a few minutes, I turned off the podcast and began writing. If you want to get good at something you have to just keep doing that thing over and over again. So I write.
I use to waste my “stuck” down time while driving or waiting in school car lines by replaying my day, thinking of all I had to do, making list, stressing or just scrolling through all the socials. There is nothing wrong with those activities, except I never felt better afterward so what was the point? Maybe you have been there yourself?
Now I try to purposefully shift during my down time. It’s ok to compartmentalize; to push those lingering thoughts aside, stop worrying – pray – and allow yourself to unwind and be rejuvenated before moving forward in your day. What’s your “stuck” down time look like? Shifting with purpose is a way to shut down the brain, release stress, change your focus and purposefully changing directions while using your time well. If you’re trying to juggle a lot: work, home, ministry, family, children, passions, responsibilities, pets, hobbies or whatever that may look like for you – we all need “brain interrupt” breaks. The what and how of that will look different in each of our lives.
Taking advantage of the time I might otherwise let slip away helps me avoid complaining that I never have time to do that one thing I am always wishing I could do. Utilizing down time can bring inspiration, purpose, and actually help you forget all the other “junk” that gets stuck in the crevices of our minds that won’t let us rest. Before you know it, instead of focusing on your frustrations, your passion and purpose will propel you to find creative ways to make them become a reality. I love how our brain can work for us when we discipline and direct it in the right way.
So I get there faster now. I can move from high paced, organized chaos to shut down, release, and “move forward with purpose mode” much faster. Not perfectly, not always, and sometimes not easily – other days I just go for the frozen lemonade approach and call it a day.
Let’s be real, I hid my empty Chick-fi-la cup in the console so my kids wouldn’t see the remnants of my treat. That didn’t work, I forgot to hide the paper straw cover. Then I sped through a yellow, turning red, light on the way home, followed by a policeman down the road, pulled over in the grocery store parking lot, and thankfully he was kind – no ticket. My kids are not letting me live that down either. So my few moments of purposeful downtime mattered a lot. The rest of my day, well that was crazy as usual.
If I can find time to do it, you can too! Let’s cheer each other on in this space! Happy Friday y’all!
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10
