Time management.
If you’re a reader than inevitably you hear people say regularly, ‘Oh, I wish I could read but I just never have the time’. The truth is that there are 24 hours in all of our days, how we use them is up to us. If you find yourself saying that you wish you had the time for an activity, hobby, sport, or educational experience – well, then perhaps you should reevaluate how you could.
An equally popular comment is that ‘people have time for what the value’. Isn’t this true? You may think you’re too busy to read or workout but somehow you manage to eat 5 times a day. Hmm. You don’t have time to cook or clean but amazingly you spend an hour and a half per day doing your hair and makeup. None of these things are bad. I just feel it’s important to call a spade a spade. What I don’t do, is a result of a lack of priority in my life.
Many of us have commitment issues. We’d love to take a class, join a group, maybe volunteer? But EVERY week seems so daunting and permanent; we shrink back in fear. Giving in the to the ‘what if’ game we convince ourselves that we can’t possibly commit to one more thing! Is this starting to hit home for you? This is the land I’ve lived in friends…do not feel alone.
I recently stepped down from a commitment that interfered with my new work schedule. With traveling for work now, Friday nights weren’t feasible for me. Work does trump other commitments to an extend in that at this point in my life I both need to work and love to work. I’m fortunate to be in a place that I’m excited to be a part of. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that I was disappointed at having to let go of another commitment.
Almost within the same stride I took on a new undertaking. For those of you who kept up with my entries last week, you know that I started the Dave Ramsey course at my church. Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University includes a several month long commitment, in my case on Thursday nights. This gave me Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening commitments on top of work 5 days a week, traveling a weekend or 2 per month, and church Sundays. That felt a little overwhelming in my head as I tried to work through whether or not to take the course.
Being financially responsible and more importantly free needed to be a priority in my life. At 24 years old I’m in a place that many people twice my age would do nearly anything to be in – debt free. Not being naive enough to believe that I can remain so without a plan, I knew that I needed to make time in my crazy life and schedule to learn. Learn about saving, budgeting, investing, etc. So, I signed on and commitment both to myself and my classmates to be there every week I possibly can.
When you make a commitment it’s important to stick with it! Too often we realize something is ‘a good idea’ but we can’t quite be committed to following through. Am I right? To gain from the experience we have to really BE there. In mind, body, and spirit. Otherwise, we might as well stay home and watch TV.
There’s not any one perfect schedule you can map out for your life that will keep you perfectly balanced. However, it is important to evaluate your commitments from time-to-time to see if your getting the results you want in life. This includes me. Some of my commitments to date are book club, small group, financial peace university, work, church, book reviewing, and an accountability partner. Now, one area I’m still struggling with is working out. I value the health (and mental stability) benefits of getting my walk/jog in at least in theory…BUT I tend to make time excuses where this is concerned. I already get up at 6am…5am just seems daunting. I don’t get home til 9pm some nights and by then I’m tired (and a little scared to wander off alone). So, knowing like I do that we all have the same amount of hours in a day…how am I going to squeeze it in or what needs to give? That is the question.
You make time for what you want to do. So perhaps the questions you need to ask yourself are: does what I want right now lead to the future I want later? What do I say I want to do but don’t make time for? What needs to give in my schedule? What do I need to move up on the priority list? And if you anything like me…where do I start?
Baby steps. : ]
Love,
B
Review: Fresh Start
Fresh Start: God’s Invitation to a Great Life.
By: Doug Fields
Throughout our lives we all reach a point in which we want nothing more than a Fresh Start. A ‘do over’ or a chance to move beyond that which is holding us back from the future our hearts desire. When you reach this place, Doug Fields is ready to tell you just how to get ‘unstuck’ and start moving forward, with faith as your guide. Whether it’s issues of forgiveness, defining who you are, overcoming rejection in your past, moving beyond your anger, or finding freedom from sins God’s already forgiven – this book offers you a method, a system.
If I’d found this book a few years ago, I can’t imagine how much faster I would have arrived at where I am today. Still, when I found this book through Thomas Nelson Publishing I was still drawn in by the topics it was said to contain: Finding true friendship, overcoming discouragement, even defining success. If you feel stuck in a rut than this book has answers you need. The book was directed at those early on in their walk or going through a long dry season spiritually. However, even in my current walk I found this book refreshing, renewing, and a testament to how far God can bring you from where you’ve been. Doug Fields presents his message in a way that allows anyone to be able to read, understand, and receive it should they approach it with an open heart. I recommend this book to you if you feel trapped by something holding you back from God’s best, whatever your particular ‘rut’ may be.
It is God’s desire for you to ‘have life…and have it to the full’ (John 10:10). Don’t stay stuck! There’s freedom through the power of Christ.
Love,
B
Interested in reviewing books? Visit www.brb.thomasnelson.com
LA Candy Review.
I’ve been a huge Lauren Conrad fan from the beginning of her ‘career’. I’ve been watching The Hills, her reality show since it’s premier four or five years ago. I also own every season on DVD. I realize that much of what I observed of her life on The Hills was in fact a show, not real life. But she’s a girl from Laguna Beach who has built a TV career, a fashion line, and a name for herself. In many ways, I respect that.
Also, I think much of my LC love comes from the fact that she’s my age. She’s relatable in that way. She’s going through (whether real or fabricated) that drama of jobs, bosses, friendships, and boys. What 20-something girl can’t relate to that on some level? When I think about doing it in front of America that seems even more overwhelming. Society is not very forgiving.
When the rumors of LC’s first book began circulating I was wicked excited. Here’s a girl I’ve faithfully followed since high school and she’s doing one more thing I’ve always wanted to do – write a novel. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and read every page.
I didn’t have many expectations, honestly. I didn’t know what the book was about or what her writing style would be. I attach to writers more based on their style than content. I’m a weird literature consumer I suppose.
In my opinion, the book was an epic fail. First off, in writing a book for ‘teens’ (it’s produced by Harper Teen) doesn’t that mean the target audience is 12 and up? Well then it’s not appropriate to encourage underage drinking as glamorous and something everyone does. Breaking the law is not in fact chic. Also, the f-bomb? Really LC? Was it necessary to add profanity to a book marketed to teens let alone the f-bomb MULTIPLE times? Call me old fashion but that is not okay. I would not want my 12 or 13 year old reading that.
Language and underage drinking issues aside let’s talk about ‘Scarlet’, one of the characters in the book. Painting her promiscuous lifestyle as ‘cool’ really left an unsettled feeling in my stomach. Whether or not my girl LC meant to or not, what you write does in essence promote something. I was disturbed and turned off to the book by the promotion of hooking up with guys whose names you don’t care enough to know. Do I even need to go over the emotional and physical consequences that come with this sort of lifestyle? I doubt it.
Even the more innocent character, Jane, ‘cheated’ on the guy she was dating with his best friend. Sneaking her one-night-stand-turned-love out before her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend came up the stairs. Real classy.
With spotlight driven success comes responsibility. Like it or not LC you’re a role model to young girls everywhere. What you do with your time in the limelight is up to you but it also says something about who you are and where your priorities lie. Do you in fact understand that?
I would have liked to see someone with LC’s platform write a novel about success. With a leg up in the fashion world, why not dwell on the positive aspect of a successful fashion career in LA? Write about fashion shows, meeting designers, what it’s like to intern at Teen Vogue. Now that would have been worthwhile reading material.
Sorry, LC but this book gets a thumbs down from me.
Love,
B
New Adventures.
At the suggestion of my new small group coach, Paige, I’ve signed up to start reading and reviewing books! It’s seems like a great way to get FREE books and it will keep my skills for reading and writing tuned up as I have to write a review on my personal blog and for amazon or a similar company. I will be writing for Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers (link at the bottom of my page).
Paige has been writing reviews for a while and you can check out her personal blog at www.sincerelypaige.com – she’s great. I’ve enjoyed getting to know her more throughout my journey towards small group leadership (for my church).
I just picked my first book to review and it is titled, ‘ Fresh Start’ by the youth pastor from Saddleback Church. I’m excited to receive it and ‘get to work’. I have come to enjoy blogging so much in the past year that I want to continue to try out new ways to expand my arena as a blogger. Suggestions are welcome.
Also, I want to continue to review events, especially ones that benefit charities so please keep me posted if you have one in mind you think I should be attend and write about. I use the term review lightly because I haven’t written a negative charity event ‘review’ yet. I enjoy experiencing events and helping out and writing about them gives me a chance to share that with you and hopefully encourage people to also get out in their neighborhoods and support the people and organizations that are trying to make a difference in our community! So keep me posted.
Love,
B
