Part III in a 5-part series connecting daily work with spirituality
Wednesday: "My time is at hand…"
All of us know someone who is over committed and whose life is stretched too thin. The physical signs are all too clear: fatigue, lack of energy, poor diet, and health complications. On a social level too, there are some red flags that immediately catch our attention: they may be snippy, overly negative, and quick to dismiss new ideas. Whatever the outward "symptom", an overly taxed life is not something to which many of us aspire and yet can easily find ourselves dabbling in.
We dabble in just one more committee. We dabble in another activity for our kids. We dabble in another weekend event that's 20 minutes away. It's only 20 minutes, we tell ourselves… At the end of the day, a little dabbling here and there can add up to too much stress and not enough calm.
On the flip-side, a balanced life is rooted in knowing what we're all about and then sticking to it. One of the great gifts of GTD is that you can take a break from the day whenever you want to, precisely because you have a clear sense of what still needs to get done and how you're planning to do it. In the summer months, I will go off campus for lunch and just park my car under a tree in a nearby parking lot. I eat a sandwich and enjoy my book on tape. It's amazing how 30 minutes away from work leaves me fired up to go back to work.
In today's Gospel, Jesus' sense of time leaves an impact on those with whom he "works". He knows that his earthly days are numbered and has a clear vision of how he'd like to use those hours and minutes. Do you have a strong direction for your day? Is your agenda laid out and timed accordingly?
As Holy Week rolls on, take the time to write down the things you'll need to get done. Refer back to your lists and be sure to include any ongoing projects that need attention. My guess is that you'll find that, like Jesus, others will take your lead and improve their own sense of time management. Today is Wednesday of Holy Week.
