Monday morning.
The race is on again for a new week, and you and your mind are running at top speed, full out, and it’s not even 9:00am yet.
Hubbie. House. Job. Laundry. Clean clothes. Ironed clothes. Lunches.
Kids. Backpacks. Missing homework. Missing sports equipment.
Get in the car. Let’s GO. We’re going to be LATE.
Missing me.
Missing time.
Missing breathing room.
STOP.
Slow down for just a moment and take a deep breath.
Just. Stop. Being the “good mom”, the “perfect mom” the “can do it all mom”, the “I must or my husband won’t be considered for his promotion mom”, or the “I must or my kids will miss out and be left behind/not get into the right college mom”.
Whew.
What is the solution?
You need to build margin into your life.
I learned this term recently from Andy Stanley, through his study “Take it to the limit-How to get the most out of life”.
The description of the study notes,
Overloaded? Maxed out? Our culture encourages us to live as if we have no limits. So we fill up our schedules and empty our bank accounts. We do as much as we can, spend as much as we can, and acquire as much as we can – all in an effort to get as much as we can out of life.
Might I say “whew” again!
Having margin means that you walk yourself permanently back from the precipice so that when there are emergencies, you will not be shoved hard and fast over the edge.
So. What does having margin in your life look like, and how do you get there?
Some suggestions to consider:
Get up just five or ten minutes earlier, so there is no mad last minute rush to get out the door.
Do some meal preparation/grocery shopping over the weekend and/or the night before so that lunches and dinners are not held regularly at the exclusive drive-through of Chez McD’s.
Teach the kids to prepare their clothes/school needs the night before, allowing for a more relaxed morning. (And moms -yes, your children can and need to be taught how to use a washer and dryer. It is not capital punishment. What is cruel is being almost of legal age, and not recognizing what a washer is, let alone how to use it. See here for a how-to for every age.)
Take the time to do one little something the night before, like fill the car with gas or put your keys with your purse to save time and sanity in the morning.
Put a whiteboard on the fridge with weekly events/times/places you need to be at and things everyone needs to have ready for each day. Make it a habit to check it daily for the next day or two to avoid surprises-“Mom! I told you I needed _____ for the school event. Mom!!-said in a plaintive, wailing, accusing voice.
These are just a few ideas to get you rolling. Take a look at the areas that cause you frustration, and think about how you could change something that would help you avoid or eliminate that item and create some breathing room-margin-in your life.
Remember to point out the benefits to your family, and how the change will bring something better than what you have now.
Be patient. This can take a little time, depending on how each member handles change.
I strongly encourage you to build margin into your life starting today. Won’t it be nice to breathe a little easier tomorrow?
Share with us your ideas for creating margin in all areas of your life.
PS-I had to create margin this morning, and had to let go of putting an image with this post. Be dressed for work, eat breakfast and pack lunch, or spend time on an image? Sorry, dear readers. My margin won out. No image today.
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