Priorities.
That is what it all boils down to and most of the time, the focus on your priorities is indeed just and right. Most of the time.
Don't take that wrong. Priorities matter. They guide our lives but they can only be true beacons of light if they are good and just priorities and not "priorities of comfort" or, don't take this wrong, just plain weak excuses.
I can't workout because I don't have time for that. I am a mom. I have a full-time job. My kids have after school sports and other events. I have no time.
But I bet you if you honestly look at your schedule, how you are doing things, how you may be wasting time, you will find a lot of time on your hands that can be used in new and different ways.
My first thing won't be to tell you to wake up 30 minutes earlier to get it done. I was told that countless times but when you are already waking up before the cows, your hubby is giving you a hard time for what time you wake up, earlier isn't going to help.
What I will say and ask is this. Are you using your time wisely? Are you wasting precious minutes watching TV longer than you intended, making many shopping trips versus one, not asking or accepting help when you can, scrolling just a wee bit too long on facebook looking at pictures of friends and family and wham-bam-thank-you-mam there went an hour. Facebook is a time sucker. And so are so many other things.
I don't know about you but a trip to town to get things can take 30-60 minutes in drive time alone. Make one trip a week versus three and lookie-there-dearie, you have 60-120 more minutes in your week! You could get some good workouts done in that time. But that time can be applied to more than workouts if you have other things tugging on your heart.
An example from my life. I have added prayer and scripture reading into my morning by doing it while I run but at the start of the year I felt called and determined to strive to read the entire bible in one year. I started a three-year plan last year and flopped halfway through the year. Time got away from me but I was still determined to take on a bigger challenge and believed I could make it work. But how? How could I read more of the bible each day to accomplish a bigger goal when I already flopped with less reading required per day?
I looked at my plan. Last year my reading was scheduled to happen before bed. Some nights I was just too tired. Just being honest here. A late night, evening unexpected events, and momma just wanted to crash. Waiting to the last minute is not good for me and that is why I almost always get my runs in first thing in the morning. That works for me BUT I wasn't about to wake up 30 minutes earlier to run, pray, and read the bible. We already touched on that point.
So how was I going to make this work?
My solution was golden. I carry my bible with me each day to work and to darling daughter's horse lessons. While she tacks up or while I wait for her at school (yes, I arrive early), I get my reading done. Minutes I would have just scrolled through facebook or other social media outlets to pass the time are now devoted to something bigger and better in my life and it works. And I bet if you look at your schedule you will find "waiting times" that can be redefined into your moments of success helping you to achieve all you want to do in that one 24-hour day of craziness we all have to cope with.
I would love to hear what works for you!
Daily Gratitude: I am thankful I have a computer even though it randomly enlarges and shrinks my font. Any tips you have for me?
Daily Bible Verse: "And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table." ~ Luke 16:20-21