Sunday, March 26, 2017

Claiming Time

Priorities

The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
Stephen Covey

How often do you say these words: “I don't have time”? I don't have time to meditate, I don't have time for my art, I don't have time to clean my house, I don't have time to........(fill in the blank). I confess that I sometimes feel like I invented those words. I know for a fact, however, that other people have the same problem. If we allow it to happen, other people, work, and good causes, will fill our minutes and days, and our personal priorities will be shoved into the background, and eventually, completely out of sight. At least, that's true for me.

There is something in us—I find this to be especially true for women—that believes that our priorities are secondary to everyone else's, particularly those of our family. We love our family, and we ever and always want to be available to them, so it's natural to say “yes” when asked to do something for them, and often, we volunteer even when it's not requested. We don't want to change that, but we also don't want to get to the end of our days with a long list of things we deeply wanted to do, and didn't. At some point, our own priorities must be brought forward.

For me, making time for my personal priorities is a matter of scheduling. If there's something I truly want to do, and need to do, I block off time on my calendar, just like I would for a haircut or dental appointment. I can't say that nothing ever interrupts that, but it works most of the time. This is true for my spiritual life, too. I make time for it. I don't allow that time to be co-opted by anything else. If it means I get up an hour earlier, or go to bed an hour later, so be it. I find that when I make time for the things I really care about, including my spiritual life, it's easier to say “yes” to other requests. Claiming the time and space for our soul work energizes rather than drains us. When I fail to make time for myself and what I want to do, I become frazzled and exhausted and then, I'm no good to anyone. Sometimes, I still find myself trying to draw water from that empty well, but progress is being made! How about you? Do you find it difficult to make time for the things that help you to feel comfortable and satisfied in spirit? Are you prioritizing your soul-work?

                                                           In the Spirit,

                                                                Jane

No comments: