I could get so much more done if I didn’t have to stop to sleep. Yet, I’ve proved to myself countless times that overriding the need for sleep robs the waking hours of quality.
So, I surrender. At least it’s my goal to get enough sleep to operate at maximum capacity and health during daytime hours. God is the inventor of the 24-hour day, so I’ve come to accept that either I do have enough time to get to everything—so don’t stress over it—or I’ve taken on too much. And while I love being productive and getting things done, I also consider spending time with loved ones and especially God to be time well spent.
A big way I’ve made peace with God’s plan for the need for sleep is making the most of the waking hours. Maximizing my time helps me to then stop and say it’s enough at the end of the day. Here’s a few ways I do it.
1) Make sleep a priority. Being well-rested allows meto operate at full capacity, exercise because I’m not too tired which in turn helps me to be more productive and alert, get sick less often, and feel better all the way around.
2) Stay focused. Sometimes it feels like steering a car through cement but I try not to drift off course. Distractors can include texts, phone calls, social media, snacks, and shiny objects.
3) Take breaks. They help our brains to stay fresh. I try to make it a real break and not drifting into something I’ll later feel was wasted time like watching Reels for an hour.
4) Keep Jesus Christ at the center. I turn to him to navigate the day. “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13). I begin each day in prayer and Mass, and touch bases with him throughout the day. The goal is not just how much I get done, but that I am scheduling and working in union with God’s desire for me moment by moment.
5) Look for shortcuts. I naturally for ways to do things quicker and easier, like making enough dinner for leftovers and tackling housework if I’m going to be on the phone for awhile. Also, relaxing some standards at times helps.
6) Co-opt Other people can sometimes help with projects, whether making phone calls or organizing an event or tasks on the home front. Back in the day, I occasionally traded childcare with a friend for a few uninterrupted hours to turbo cleaning or my husband would take the kids out while I worked on a writing project.
7) Is my name on it? There’s a lot of worthy volunteer work, but is it the work God is calling me to at this point in my life? I want to volunteer but I also pray for help pacing my life. It’s a challenge when accepting writing assignments that come my way that might be delaying me getting to other important ones; such as a stream of articles that delay working on a book. I ask God to help identify the ones with my name on it. I used to say yes to every request, but I’ve come to say “no” more often and recommend others.
8) Redefine checklists because tasks are not everything. The most productive part of my week is sitting in adoration with Jesus. Being a Mary instead of a Martha is spiritually productive because Jesus is doing the work while we just need to be present.
9) Live in the moment. Life is lived minute by minute. I try to organize my minutes, stay close to Christ, and will live a life of value.
If my busyness feels burdensome, something is amiss. Certainly, there are moments perfect for “offering up,” so sometimes it’s an attitude adjustment of accepting the work of life.
But between a daily living in union with God, serving him and managing the day, the goal is peace and a joy for living. “My peace I leave with you, my peace I give,” (John 14:27).
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