I’ve been feeling pretty limited on time lately.
Like, by the time I get up and get dressed, and maybe do a morning workout, then shower and decide what I want to wear for the rest of the day (which mostly defaults to stretchy pants and some sort of oversized top) and which coffee shop to settle into, it’s already lunch time. I mean, some days, I’ll have an extra fifteen to thirty minutes to spare if I decide to stay in my PJs like I am right now (#freelancelyfe) and work from my bed, but I digress…
I’ll jump straight into emails and answering social media messages, and probably scroll down a few posts on Instagram just to see if there is anything more interesting than a ducked face selfie. And then somewhere between midday and sunset, I’ll throw in a meeting or connect with a client, content create, or schedule in a photo session and some editing time. And when all that is done, then it’s possible that I’ll have some time to share life conversations over a green tea latte at the beach with someone.
I keep asking myself how I can be more productive or time manage better so I can fit more brunch dates into my schedule or attend more birthday parties. But the truth is that time management is one of my strengths, and no matter how skillful I am at rearranging my calendar so I can potentially add something extra to it, while at the same time maintaining sanity and leaving room for self care, the reality is that I can’t.
So what does that mean?
It means that every day only allots me so much time for only so many people, and I have to make choices. I have to decide who they are and how much I can and am willing to invest. Because I don’t want to be that person who “drops by” or “squeezes someone in.” I want the important people in my life to know that I am present and that I care and value them. I want them to know that I am available if they are ever in need.
…
I have been having a lot of conversations with people about the value of time in the last couple weeks. We’ve talked about people being unreliable and showing up late to things without any real excuse or heads up. We’ve talked about how much time you should invest and give out to people. We’ve talked about relationships and careers, and whom you can and cannot trust with your messiness and dreams and endeavors. At least twice in a conversation, someone will say, “ain’t nobody got time for that.” And as much as we are trying to be funny, it’s real.
If people aren’t valuing your time, move on.
If people are taking advantage of your willingness to be available, move on.
If people aren’t being intentional and come with a side of frosted flakes, move on.
And if people don’t respect or value you as a human being, definitely move on.
Because, AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT.
At the end of the day: Don’t waste your time on people who are wasting yours.
There are a few things of value in life given to us as gifts.
Time is one of them.
We’re all given the same twenty-four hours in a day, and we are free to do with it as we please. Be a good steward of it. Use it wisely, and spend it on things that actually matter. Use it up with the people who actually deserve your time.
People are gifts.
They really are. Just imagine all the people who surround you who sincerely care for you. Don’t take them for granted, because one day they may leave if they start to see that they are second thoughts or conveniences. Make the people who should be a priority… a priority. You know, the loyal ones who constantly forgive and give grace even when you’re a broken record and make mistakes time after time; the people who will share their Hot Cheetos fries and make Kraft Mac n Cheese with you because it’ll help you feel less sad, and you’ll eat that as a snack even when you shouldn’t be ingesting any of those things at all. The person who you can spend hours with and there is constant laughter and you’re just happy to be spending time with them even if there isn’t an agenda. Those are the people you should invest in and give your time to.
God is the greatest gift.
I cannot even begin to imagine or fathom where my life would be without God’s love and grace. I could spend an eternity talking about all the ways that I’ve seen God so real in my life—in my sickness, in my hardships, in my career, in my friendships, in my relationships, in EVERYTHING. But that’s kind of what this whole personal blog this is anyway so I’ll save it for another post or something. But to all my readers who have gotten down this far, know this: when you find yourself in the safety of who God is (his love, his grace, his faithfulness), everything in this life suddenly becomes irrelevant. And if there’s anywhere you should devote your energy and your time, it’s investing into a relationship getting to know more of who God is.
