Creating Space In Your Life
I have found myself wondering lately if I find myself exhausted so often because I’m really that busy or if I’m just getting older. But if I take an honest look at all the things on my plate, it’s a lot! I’m lucky to get to talk with smart and accomplished people for the Marching Roundtable podcast, and it’s fun to create marching band shows for hard working students. Both require a lot of time and energy.
Now I’ve added a third business, as my husband and I have the new Phantom History House Bed & Breakfast. Creating comfortable, unique, and restful experiences for our guests has brought a lot of joy, but also been a lot of hard work.
The nice thing about getting older is you start to see the big picture of your life and the world around you. If I try to force things to happen, it just wears me down. I sometimes realize I’m on the verge of being sick and I have to stop and get my life back into balance. This is about creating space in my life.
We are not supposed to go 100 mph all the time. People in the marching activity are guilty of this more than most, as our seasons of performance never really end. We end one season on a high and immediately launch into the next. Sometimes we’re working on all three seasons at the same time.
I am committed to create more space in my life this year. It profits me to rest, to slow down, to stop and read, to allow a quiet evening without things to accomplish. This can be hard for me when there is so much demanding my attention, but the benefits of having this space out-way the benefits of pushing through.
If you’re like me and this challenges you, put space into your calendar. Schedule time to stop and rest or read or exercise. Recent research shows that stopping for 5 minutes, 2 minutes, even 10 seconds can create space, allow you breathe, and clear your mind. Keeping a balance between work and rest and play pays huge dividends over time. You’ll find yourself healthier, less tired, and doing better work.
Tim Hinton
January 14, 2024
