Making the Most of the Time: Finding and Maintaining Balance

"Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16, NRSV)

What is time? Does it exist apart from our perception? Is it linear or cyclical? Does it stand still or fly by? Do we "spend" it, "make" it, "do" it, "waste" it, or "manage" it? Is it best measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries, or millennia? Do we really possess time at all?

Guess what? I have no answers for any of these questions. Time is what it is; and in reality, it is a shifting concept in different cultures, different stages of life, different situations, and different moods. Physicists now claim that our concept of time is totally artificial and problematic. Buddhists view time as a unity €" past, present, and future are simply different aspects of "now."

Regardless of our definition or perception of time, all of us move forward through life; and we experience massive change. We create our lives from activities, relationships, pursuits, and passions. We orient our existence to be as meaningful and fulfilling as possible. We place a high premium on packing our days full of activities. We have a sneaking suspicion in the back of our minds that moments lost are moments never to be recovered again. And yet, millions of Americans spend untold hours in front of television sets and computer screens, mindlessly surfing and scanning. Ultimately, it seems as if we have no control over our lives €" as if our lives live us. At the end of the day, we often scratch our heads and ask, "Where did the time go?"

The number one medical complaint in the United States today is fatigue. People are tired €" bone weary, exhausted, no get-up-and-go, jaded, wiped out, burned out, and bummed out. Caffeine consumption is at an all-time high, mood enhancers are the number one prescription drugs of choice, and "extreme" sports give young people a jolt they cannot experience any other way. What's happening here?

We do not have any less time than any other generation, any other culture, but we claim a level of time-related stress unparalleled in our history. Time-management books and time-planning software flood the market. People are seeking practical solutions to the perceived time crunch. Perhaps these tools will make a difference, but it isn't likely. The problem is not how to cram more life into the time we're allotted, but how to set priorities and organize our living in a grace-filled and fulfilling way. What we need is a change of heart, not a new PDA.

This is not a self-help article (although if it helps, I will be very happy). There already exist ten thousand or more articles on time management. One more won't make much difference. What is offered here is a set of questions and an exercise to challenge your view of time and the way you use it (or they way time uses you). Think in terms of four types of time: body time, work time, mind time, spirit time.

Body time is time to take care of your physical self €" time for exercise and adequate rest. This is time for meals or taking a walk. This is time to pay attention to the miraculous workings of the body. In what ways do you attend to your body each day? What activities do you engage in to improve your physical condition? How much of your day is given to caring for your health?

Work time is the time we engage in productive activities €" whether for monetary profit or not. This is office time, yard-work time, and cleaning and cooking time €" the time that many of us feel constitutes the major part of our day. What are the work demands on your daily schedule? Are there clear boundaries between work time and the rest of your time? Does your most important work get priority over other tasks?

Mind time is time given to learning, thinking, and dreaming. This is time to concentrate; time to engage in reading, writing, studying, or stimulating conversation. Too often, we adults neglect adequate mind time. What portion of your day is given to learning? What learning goals do you have for your life? Where do you test new ideas? Where do you have your own ideas and thinking challenged?

Spirit time is not merely time for our relationship with God €" prayer, meditation, worship, and Bible reading, It's also time for relationships with family and friends, time to sit in the sun, time to see a movie. Spirit time is the time we give ourselves for renewal and restoration. What types of activities renew and revitalize you? In what ways do you nurture your spirit on a regular basis? When do you feel most rested?

Each type of time is valuable, and each contributes to a meaningful and fulfilling life. The key is keeping the types of time in balance. Too much of one or too little of another can lead to the kind of stress and strain that breeds fatigue and burn out.

A helpful exercise to challenge your thinking about time is to make a chart with four columns. Head each column with one of the four types of time. Under each heading, list all the ways you can use each type of time (see example below). Once you have listed different activities in each category, place them in order of importance to you. Once you have finished the exercise, begin thinking about what you might do to give preference to the number one priority in each category. What would balance look like in your life?

Example (Your lists will probably be much longer.)

What do your lists tell you about what is important in your life? How much time do you give to various pursuits? What things on your list aren't really important? Where do you feel the most balance? Where do you feel the least balance?

Each moment is a gift, filled with potential. Time €" in whatever form we measure it €" will yield as much or as little as we allow it to. There is no right way to use our time or to live our days. Each person must decide what will make his or her life meaningful. Then, instead of doing all we can to fill up our time, our challenge is to do those things that produce the greatest benefit. Making the most of our time is an act of faith. Balancing our work and relationships, our activities and our rest, is an act of Christian stewardship.

Dan R. Dick is a former staff member of the General Board of Discipleship.