Q: With a full-time job and a new marriage, how do I find the time to do more of the things I love?
A: Finding time to do the things you want to do comes down to choices. There are 24 hours in a day, and YOU get to choose how you use them. When you have a spouse, the two of you need to make these decisions together, because it is no longer just about you. With that said, I will make two suggestions. One of the biggest time drains is social media. According to broadbandsearch.net Americans spend, on average, slightly over 2 hours a day on different platforms. That means, ON AVERAGE, a person will spend 14 hours every week watching what other people are doing. If I were trying to pick up more time in my day, I would start by analyzing how much time was spent in these areas. It may shock you (I know it did me!). If you find you spend 10 hours over a 7 day period checking Facebook and Instagram, ask yourself, “Could I give up 5 of those hours each week to focus on something I want to accomplish?” The answer is yes, you can. What it will come down to is how important it is to you. In life, we can choose to be observers of other people’s tales, or we can choose to write our own story.
The second thing I would recommend is waking up earlier. Could you give yourself an extra 30 minutes? Maybe a full hour? Sacrificing your rest will not be good for your health, and can keep you from being more productive, so you might need to adjust your bedtime schedule. What is more important, watching a Netflix show or working toward your goal? I will state it again, you can spend time in the evening living inside someone else’s tale, or you can go to bed an hour earlier so you can wake the next day to write your own story. Life is about choices. God gives us freedom to spend every 24 hours how we wish, but he also gives us a warning. “So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!” -Proverbs 6:9-11 MSG. That is a strong warning. We reap what we sow. Our choices have consequences. I heard an interesting statement recently. A well-known public figure said a person does not become an adult until they ask themselves this one question before every decision they make. The question? “What is the cost?” (He was not talking financially.) His point is everything in life comes at a cost. If I spend 3 hours watching TV each night, I have cost myself sleep. If I choose to watch 3 hours of TV each night, and get the same amount of sleep, then I have cost myself 3 hours the next day that I could have used to pursue my goals, to write my own story. That question resonated with me. I have known people in their seventies that, by this definition, would not be adults. They still live in a child-like state chasing their next endorphin hit. I have begun asking myself this question. It is so simple, but it puts every decision I make into perspective. If something is important enough, you will make the sacrifice. You will pay the cost. Ask God to help you. He desires that you accomplish your purpose in life. He put you here for a reason. You have a part to play. I have confidence in you! You CAN accomplish what God has laid on your heart to do! Go for it!
Lisa Lou