Performing a schedule audit

For most of us, it isn't just our closets that are cluttered.  Our schedules are cluttered too.

My friend, Phill, mentioned the other day that he and his wife had gone through their schedules and done an "energy audit."

The idea is that they both have really demanding jobs--which means in the hours they are not at work, they can't afford to engage in things that take more energy than they give.  It burns through the already stretched resource of time and personal energy.

Every activity was evaluated based on whether or not it energized or drained them, then the hard decisions were made.  Nothing was off limits.  Family events, church, even long-standing activities that served each of them personally.

The result is a schedule that feeds them and gives time and space for their love for each other.

This is counter cultural to the way most live. We measure our worth by busyness. When people need us, it makes us feel valuable.  There is a high in running from activity to activity. It takes real courage to say no to others who need us and prioritize our families.  To protect the time and energy needed to create a home--the space and refuge that only we can give to those closest to us.