My Schedule In Focus

by Teri Spray

How can I prioritize my day? I have so much to do, it is hard to keep track of what comes first.

In order to find time to focus and intensify our lives, I'll use the illustration of The Jar of Time: A giant glass jar is placed upon a platform. The jar represents the hours in your day. In the jar is a collection of large rocks stacked to the top. Is the jar full? These rocks represent our priorities, our focal points. Next, the we will add pebbles to the jar. These represent our secondary priorities. Is the jar full now? Next we will pour sand into the jar. These represent the next list of things to be done. Now is the jar full? Lastly we pour water into the jar. This represents the last set of priorities. Now the day is complete. It is amazing to see that if we keep the priorities in perspective, God provides us with space and room in our day to fit many other "less important?" things around the edges.

Who's on First?
Now I look at my days differently. I try to keep my mind focused upon one meaningful direction for each day, no matter how many distractions I may face. From the outside things might appear to be the same, but inside my focal point has been changed. Now I am centering my heart and my mind upon the most important thing God has given me for the day. As followers of Jesus Christ, our hearts and minds must focus upon Him first. For we know God promises, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you." Matthew 6:33 My first stones in my jar must be to serve and love the Lord God with my whole heart, my whole mind and my whole strength. Then through this love and obedience, I can now see my family and focus upon their needs and minister to them.

As I focus myself upon them, I can move forward to open my arms in love to those around me and focus upon their needs as well. Perhaps I could say the large stones in my jar include my relationship with God, my relationship with my spouse, my relationship with my children. My next pebbles would be my home, my work, and ministry. The sand in my days would probably be my day-to-day routine activities. Perhaps my water is my hobbies and personal interests which round me out as a person. Your jar might be different than mine.

Each week my pebbles may change. One week my focus is upon home maintenance. This week, my focus is upon writing this newsletter. Another week my focus is upon a special event. My daughter Meredith is enjoying new success in maintaining her home despite tiny children and a full-time job. She is doing this by focusing her housework in one area each day. So now she chooses to focus her energies on a kitchen day, a laundry day, a bathroom day, etc. This has changed her life, because she is no longer overwhelmed by mountains of laundry, piles of dishes and grungy bathrooms.

First things first!
The freedom I enjoy is knowing that my primary focus remains the same. I do this by sifting the hours of my days. The largest "stones" are my first concern, next the priority moves to the next important item on the list, etc. Great motivational speakers like Anthony Robbins and Zig Zigler tell us that we should keep a short written list of our goals, and then work on them a little each day.

Here is an Idea!
Write about five goals on five blank cards, then list small baby steps it will take to achieve each of your goals. Add other cards of routine duties, such as paying bills. Add blank cards to the back of your stack for the unexpected duties you will need to include. Now each day, during your quiet time with God, prayerfully flip through your card stack and sort out your day. As you look at the important goal items first, plan to do at least one baby step on your most important card, thenwhen that is completed for today, look at the next card and so on.

The challenge is to always try to put some effort into your primary goals each day. In this manner you will be able to achieve great things in only one day at a time. Adjust your focus as you go, because life often throws us curve balls. Keep on swinging at your main points, and you will eventually see the results you want.

Deter Distractions
Meanwhile, keep praying for God to show you which distractions need to be eliminated. Here are questions I ask myself regularly: Where can I quiet the many voices calling for my attention? Shall I read less junk mail? Watch less television? Read/write fewer emails? How can I focus my attention on my home schooling? What were the distractions which caused us to struggle? Can those be eliminated? Are the distractions in our lives "bigger stones" than our home schooling schedule? (Yes, there are definitely "bigger stones" than home schooling!)

If I keep Christ in the center of my jar and focus myself on obeying Him and walking in His righteousness, then I believe I am doing what God has called me to do and all these other things will be added to me.