Balance

I have a hard time maintaining balance in my life.  Work can easily take over, and time for me is moved to the back burner.  One of my goals this year has been to be more intentional about maintaining a better balance.  I decided to map out some of my goals this year and put them on my wall – a balancing act between work and life.  That way, as I approach my tasks each day – I can reflect on how well they fit into the goals I have set for myself and where my priorities should be.  It also reminds me of the things I haven’t yet tackled.  Let me share some things I would like to put on the “front burner” this coming year:

I am looking forward to tackling some books – I have a list of ones I hope to get through this year… “professional development” books include Drama of Scripture by Goheen and Bartholomew, Advancing Differentiation by Richard Cash, and Beyond Control by Al Bandstra.  I have also been going through some of the CBC Canada Reads selections for this year.  I love being able to connect with Canadian thought and culture.  Story and its importance are something I talk about in my work, but also something I love to delve into for pleasure as well. 

Self – care is also part of my plan!  I have added exercise to my life – working towards jogging 5km!  I have succeeded in making it to 3.  I have found that exercise give me more energy, even though it takes a lot of work to get out there in the morning.  I enjoy setting goals and gradually working towards them.  I miss playing volleyball though, and hope I will be able to find a group to play with here in Abuja.

Jabi Lake - a beautiful park to jog in the morning

I enjoy learning.  I wonder if I should learn a new skill this year too…Indian dance?  Cooking class?  Photography?  Let’s see what the year holds. 

Some things have suffered.  I usually spend a lot of time “getting organized” and writing “to-do” lists.  Which I am still doing – but have tried to lower that as a priority.  As a result my side desk is a disaster!  It makes it hard to work some days.  So as I type this I have turned my back to the piles in order to concentrate J

Will you join me in praying for balance in my life?