I remember hearing during my first few years of ministry the importance and value of balance. I really tried hard to have the proper balance, which was somewhat doable when I was single. Then, I took on another job, plus got married. Uhhh…that whole balance thing just became a little more difficult. Then my wife gave birth to twins. How’s that balance working out for ya? Then a ministry transition. Then another transition. Then another child. Hmmm…maybe we need to rethink this whole balance thing.
And that’s when I realized that instead of me losing my sanity trying to achieve (an impossible) balance, I realized that management might be the thing that I was really in need of.
Question. Should you really strive for a 50/50 balance between your hobby and your family? Hopefully you answered with a NO! However, most would agree that hobbies are necessary, and can provide a healthy component for our lives, but I shouldn’t attempt to try to balance my hobby of playing basketball, with spending quality time my family.
So, instead of a seesaw, a balance, or a scale, think a pie chart. Yes, a pie chart. Anything that has to do with pie is always better!
If you feel like you’re a little out of whack with your priorities, just start with the time that you’ve been given (24 hours in a day, 168 in a week) and base your little, fancy, pie chart off of that. Write down everything that is of importance and value to you; things that you need to accomplish for your job, your family, for yourself, and then manage those things accordingly.
By the way, quit trying to achieve the impossible. Forget balance, and shoot for management.