Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
Margin
The space in our life that enables us to truly grow.
“Big Waves”
We are all victims of life coming in waves and it never fails that all the big waves come at the same time! A few guys reading this article have heard me venting about this in my own life as of late.
The truth is, there are simply certain times of life that margin becomes stretched; however with proper planning we can minimize the effects of the “big waves”.
Cultivation vs. Creation
Recently, in our current MD5 cohort, we covered the margin topic. The common question we address is “How do I create more margin in my life”? While this is a valid concern, the answer is beyond creating, the answer is cultivation.
After all, we are all given the same amount of time each day, but we all make different choices on how this time is spent. Therefore, let's focus on how to cultivate a lifestyle that minimizes frustration and stress from the big waves in life.
Create Routines
Creating a repeatable morning routine that fills us with beneficial things will help us become the men God has designed us to be.
Here are a few ideas:
Wake up 15 minutes earlier than you need, give yourself some margin at the first part of each day.
If you use your phone as an alarm clock, the temptation to check your social media updates are present. Set the bible app to deliver the “verse of the day” to your phone 10 mins after your alarm. Twitter knows that you have set an alarm, so why not let the Bible App know you are awake!
Drink a glass of water before coffee. You have just gone several hours with no water; your body will appreciate being hydrated to start the day.
Read and/ or write something in a journal. An idle mind can be tempted to spend the first 30 mins of our day scrolling social media, no need to start the day like that!
Jon Ross Henderson
MD5 Facilitator