redeeming time 04: margin

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,  yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” –proverbs 6:6-8

margin is awesome. margin is when all of your tasks are done and you have some free time! everyone loves margin- they crave it. we need it. good things only happen in times of margin. goals and dreams are born in the margin. relationships grow in margin only.

the great thing about accomplishing your goals is that now you have some margin. what do you do with it? let me give you some ideas:

// work ahead.
I try to work one season ahead. its winter- so I’m getting everything for the spring done. I have time- because I’ve got margin. and when the spring comes, I won’t be stressed, because I’ll be all caught up. not only that, I’ve got lots of time to think about what I want to do, and with lots of time to get it done, it will probably turn out pretty good. there is time to use creativity. creativity only happens in the margins. I see too many people freaking out over details because they waited to the last minute to get stuff done. they bark at people because they are stressed and busy. but that won’t be you or me- we’ll have margin. for me as a youth worker, I need margin. when a student or a parent or a leader walks in and needs my attention, I can’t be worrying about a microphone that needs to be set up or papers that need to be printed or chairs that need to be set up. I need to focus on them. all of those other details need to be taken care of early, so that when a person shows up, I can show up and give them my best attention. you have people in your life that need your full attention too- when your work is done early, you can give them your best with your eyes and ears and face.

// say yes.
when you have margin, you can say yes. everyone loves someone who can say yes. sometimes I’m working in my office, crossing off my list, and someone will come in and ask, “do you have a minute?” and I say yes. and it’s the truth. sometimes people ask, “can you help me?” “can you do me a favor?” and I love to say, “yes. I can definitely do that.” you can’t do that if you’re stressed out with details. that’s one of my favorite things about Jesus- He was always saying yes- always willing to be interrupted. He had time for individuals. we’ve all met people who were too busy for us- no one likes those people. and we have all met those people who stop everything to listen. when you have margin- or when you put in the work to CREATE margin, you become one of those people.

// next level.
I love taking things to the next level. but that takes dreaming, and planning and budgeting and meeting and networking and brainstorming. and all of those things only happen in the margins. how can you take your game to the next level? take some time and dream that up!

// rest.
there is freedom in knowing that your details have been accomplished. procrastinating may be relaxing for a bit, but it creates double the stress later. so many people feel guilty about resting, but you don’t need to feel guilty about resting after accomplishing goals because you earned that rest. you can turn all of your stress done, because your work has been taken care of. and you have a good understanding of what needs to get done on Monday, and you have a system to make sure that it will get done. I like what jesus says, “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” you don’t need to worry about tomorrow. tomorrow has its own list- and you can cross it all off TOMORROW.

// focus.
people always ask me, “how do you balance work and family?” and I don’t really like the word balance. balance makes it sound like I give equal time and attention to my family and my work- and I don’t. I prefer the word focus. when I have my list made from my funnel and my daily pages, I can focus on work and work ahead. and when that’s taken care of, I turn the lights off in my office, and I can focus on deanna and jane. my mind doesn’t have to be in 2 places at once. every now and then I get a thought about the work that needs to get done- then I capture that thought on my pad and continue to focus. I know too many unfocused dads and husbands and youth workers. I don’t want to be one.

all of this sounds like a lot of work- but when you’ve got it working into a system, it makes you more focused, more efficient in the time you have, and more mindful of the people and moments in your life.

so give it a try! try working ahead- even a bit. what is a project that’s coming up for you? how can you start thinking about that right now? what can you get done for that right now? every detail that you get done early, will give you margin for the future. and everything that’s good happens in the margins.

God is love.
-rev-rob