Juggling Life

For many of us, September is often the start of new work, school, and ministry season. It is a time when you may be tempted to feel overwhelmed with all the conflicting demands and expectations. Are you juggling too many roles and responsibilities?  Do you feel burdened by all you have to do? Here is good advice from Bryan Dyson, the past President and CEO of Coca-Cola.

Dyson was asked to make a speech to a group of very important people. This is what he said:

“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air.  They are Work, Family, Health, Friends, and Spirit and you are keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back, but the other four Balls, Family, Health, Friends, and Spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same.”

What can you do?

Keep your eye on the right ball by having a simple plan.

• Stop multitasking. Keep your eye on one ball at a time.
• Practice time blocking. Determine how many hours a week you should dedicate to each of the balls you cannot drop:Family, Health, Friends, and Spirit. Fill the rest of the time with the rubber ball,
• Download our free time planning tool.  If you wish you may get a gift copy of our book, Life Planswhere you will find a step by step description on how to budget and plan your time.
• This is countercultural, so find a friend or someone to encourage you and hold you accountable for keeping your eye on the right balls.
• Don’t do it for only yourself; do it for the good of your family and friends as well as your employer. Yes, you will be a more productive employee if you can draw on the resources of a healthy personal life.
• Share your commitment with your boss and work associates. You might find that you will gain their support as they come to your side to win in this game we call Life

Wise words

“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.”Ecclesiastes 3: