This week, we are going to delve into an important topic that many of us struggle with: the mistake of not diversifying our time, attention, and effort, and the importance of balancing our lives.
As Christians, we often find ourselves pouring our energy into one particular area of life, whether it’s our work, our family, our hobbies, or whatever your particular area of choice may be! While it’s commendable to be passionate and dedicated, it is easy to fall into the trap of neglecting other equally important aspects of our lives. This imbalance can lead to burnout, strained relationships, and a lack of overall fulfillment.
I’m going to give you a story of a time in my life when my life was extremely out of balance. This takes me back to a time in my life, when I was in college. I have shared so many stories with you of my days as a college student when I was recruited to sell educational books door to door with the Southwestern Publishing Company during the summertime on 100 percent commission to put myself through college. I’ve shared with you many lessons I learned. One lesson I have not shared is how my life got so out of balance during the years of working for this company and some of the consequences! What was required from this company during the summer is that you work 75 or 80 hours a week knocking on doors six days a week. Monday through Saturday. We sold on the opposite side of the United States that you were from. On Sundays, the students from your college met together for a Sunday meeting. Your entire summer was dedicated to selling books. Needless to say, when returning to college after the summer, I was exhausted! My first two weeks back in school, I could hardly stay awake in class! I lost a ton of weight thru the summer and gain a ton of weight when I got back to school! I would have a hard time readjusting to the pace of college and not driving myself so hard. I worked for this company for 7 years. I did not learn how to live a diversified balanced life. I learned the opposite! It was very unhealthy. I made a lot of money, learned so many valuable life lessons, but I also saw and felt the consequences of not taking care of my physical and mental health. I experienced this in my 20’s. I experienced this firsthand, but we see this all the time with people who do not live a diversified balanced life. They pay for it with their marriages, their health, you name it. It is a real tragedy.
I believe this topic is one we all should look at!
The Dangers of Tunnel Vision
When we become too focused on a single area, we can develop a form of tunnel vision where we lose sight of the bigger picture. We may neglect our physical health, our relationships with loved ones, or even our spiritual growth. I want to bring up a not so popular area that we can’t see the harm in, but for the moms who become so consumed with their children, their marriage pays for it. This narrow focus can lead to a skewed perspective and a lack of balance in our lives.
The Wisdom of Diversification
Just as it’s wise to diversify our investments in the financial realm, it’s equally important to diversify our time, attention, and effort across various areas of life. The Bible reminds us of the importance of balance and moderation in all things (1 Corinthians 9:25).
By intentionally investing our time and energy into different areas, such as our spiritual growth, physical health, relationships, work, and personal development, we create a well-rounded and fulfilling life. This diversification allows us to experience joy, growth, and fulfillment in multiple areas, rather than putting all our eggs in one basket.
Another key point regarding having a balanced life with diverse interests and commitments is that it provides a crucial advantage when experiencing a setback in one area. It prevents that setback from consuming our entire life and identity.
I did some research and came up with these key benefits of intentionally living a diverse balanced Life.
Emotional Resilience: When our self-worth isn’t solely tied to one aspect like career, a professional setback doesn’t devastate our overall sense of self. Having other fulfilling areas like time invested in spiritual growth, family, hobbies, or community involvement provides emotional overall wellbeing.
Perspective: A diversified life prevents us from obsessing over a setback. Other priorities and joys provide perspective that this is just one part of our multifaceted life.
Motivation: Passion projects, relationships, and personal growth pursuits give us drive beyond the setback area. These motivate us to persevere rather than stagnate.
Overall, when we’ve invested time and energy across multiple life domains, a blow to one area doesn’t upend our entire existence. Diversification provides resilience, motivation, perspective, and practical support for us to overcome our setbacks. And let me tell you, setbacks are inevitable. They are a part of life! I can attest to that as I have my fair share.
So, how can we practically apply this principle of diversification and balance in our lives? Here are my thoughts. Get out that journal or notebook. Like I always say, and I practice this myself putting pen to paper ,and writing down ideas gives us tools we need, not just passing ideas.
1. Conduct a time audit: Examine how you currently spend your time and identify areas that may be neglected or overemphasized.
2. Prioritize your spiritual growth: Make time for daily prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers. This will provide the foundation for a balanced life.
3. Nurture your relationships: Invest quality time in your relationships with family and friends. Strong relationships are essential for our well-being.
4. Care for your physical health by incorporating regular exercise, drinking plenty of water, having healthy eating habits, and get adequate rest into your routine. A healthy body supports a healthy mind and spirit.
5. Pursue personal growth. Engage in activities that challenge and enrich you intellectually, creatively, or emotionally. This could include reading, taking a class, or exploring a new hobby, being open to trying new things.
Remember, balance is not a destination but a continuous journey. It requires intentionality, flexibility, and a willingness to adjust as seasons and circumstances change. But by diversifying our time, attention, and effort, we can experience the abundant life that Christ promises!
Monette hosts a weekly podcast: Mornings with Monette. She has been a lifelong learner and and appreciates the opportunity to share what she has learned–both through her podcast and here at The Best-Life Project (based on the content of her weekly podcast). Her messages are raw, honest and straight from the heart. She lives in Albuquerque, NM with her husband Leland. They have three adult children and are enjoying living their best lives filled with travel and adventure.