Time is on Our Side

Each day has the same number of hours in it, so why is it that we run out of time before the things are all taken care of everyday?

I suggest we put entirely too much on our plate to deal with in the  hours the day has for us to deal with them.  Work demands so many things even before we arrive at that building and clock in for the job.  We prepare our bodies and our clothes without allowing much space in there for relaxation.  Relaxing you ask?  With some reflective moments on preparing the mind for a joyful experience, we rush out the door, hoping we remembered everything.  The dog had to be fed, the children off to school, the husband off to work, the door locked and car headed off down the street. If that is not overload, I experienced these things and can now look back at the brevity of that era in my life.  Fortunately, if you are reading this and nodding your head, you can read that these are true of your life as well. I don’t suggest you not do the preparations you now attend to, but do recommend a moment to admire your goals and your journey. Just to take notice of your willingness to keep going like the EverReady battery, should deserve a little pat on the back from yourself.  If you were brought up any way like I was, those self serving pats were a no no.  I disagree.  I think those are sometimes the small moments that we can take to give back to ourselves. There is no cost for a reflection of a job well done, a thanksgiving for being able to propel ourselves and others each day and they are needed for refreshment.  That time, if you take it, can be on your side.

Priorities seem to be in a huge bag, dropped off in our lives on a continual basis.  Just when there is a moment to get a half started job finished, a crisis of some proportion fills that time you thought you had.  I recall one April afternoon, 2 of my 3 children were in the basement together.  I was taking some time to think about the evening meal for 5 and working on getting things together to prepare supper.  I heard a commotion with loud voices and what sounded like glass breaking.  I opened the basement door and asked the 2 children to come upstairs and explain the noise I was hearing.  They both emerged with blood over most of both of their arms. While they were blaming each other for doing something, all I could attend to was the severity of the wounds each had inflicted on the other with broken glass.  Pain of two injured children must have showed on my face.  Without many actions on my part, they both  in unison said “April Fool Mommy”. The blood was catchup and the glass breaking was  done in a controlled manner.  Supper was no longer a priority. The crisis took that time.  After, I sent them both to clean up and sit and think about their actions to cause me such instant grief, supper got put together. Look at what is and is not really important for the hours you have;  time can be on your side if you do. You deal with the time, don’t let it control you. It might just be OK to put something off for a day or even two so you keep your priorities in order.

Delegating is such a great tool.  Now, if you need things done a certain way, the time it takes to teach might annoy some people.  In the long run, you will certainly have time on your side. It is two fold also by using delegation of duties.  The person learning has that knowledge for what ever it is worth and your time is given back to you each time the person takes that task from you. The inspector will not be coming into your life and giving you an “F” or a “D” since the household job was not performed in a manner like you would deal with it. Face it, if you clone yourself, that is the only way those duties will be done like you do them.  Appreciate the willingness of a person to take on something that will give you an hour or more time.  If there is lack of willingness, wave your wand and make it interesting in some way.  I had a way to get my 3 children to do many things.  I even taught my husband to pitch in when he was a guided specific role type person for many years of the marriage. Work time to be on your side and not against you.