One of the things I have had trouble with is time management. When I was working it was critical to my work and running a tight schedule was second nature. Retirement has somehow shot that to pieces and I now find that the lack of urgency in some things means that I perhaps procrastinate and tend to put off things, I should be getting on with. Of course the internet is a major distraction, I enjoy interaction on social networks (twitter, facebook etc) and also on i-church, where I am a community member and volunteer. The thing that is not obvious to those speaking to me about time, is the amount that I learn and grow through these interactions. Also exploring the resources of the internet has given me much insight into other faiths, other Christian denominations and has helped me to formulate some ideas on doctrine, theology and pure human issues.
But God is calling me to offer for something, which I believe to be Ordained Ministry and while he does not seem to be in any rush - I am being encouraged to manage time spent on other activities to give more time to quiet times, prayer, reflection, reading and study. OK, I know it is essential, but some sort of balance is needed between time for God, time for family and friends and time for leisure. I have started a schedule to see how I am actually spending each day, to perhaps measure the time given to God, which I feel needs to be more, and shared with other activities. It will be interesting to see how this works out and I will post again, once I have completed the survey in a couple of weeks.
So, I am going to leave my family tree alone (5325 members, grown over the past few months) and perhaps socialise a little less, though I enjoy it.
So, nose to the grindstone for the next two weeks.
Good Luck :)
ReplyDeleteAt the start of ordination training we were given a demonstration of fitting peppers, tomatoes and rice into a bottle (Steven Coveys Rocks, pebbles and sand) and encouraged to map out our week on a time planner, putting the rocks - whatever we deemed them to be - in first.
ReplyDeleteOne of our number had a rant about fascist time management and how he disapproved and I don't think many of us did it, but it at least made me think about how I was going to schedule everything in.
Alan, I have seen a demo of that by my SD in a Communion Service as part of his sermon. He used a mix of large pebbles, small pebbles, gravel and sand.
ReplyDeleteAimed at a different aspect, but showing how there was always more room to put in.
He has not suggested that I should do that, but it is an idea.