Life happens in the margins. You’ve probably heard it. It means, simply, that the most fulfilling and most significant pieces of our lives will occur outside of the pressure packed grind we will find ourselves in, if we’re not strategic about planning our lives. Therein lies the problem. If we just live life, life will suck the life out of us. However, if we take time to reflect and plan, life will have margin – the space between the want to do and have to – and we will begin living a totally different and much more purposeful life. If you have not yet read the article detailing the power of the pause, please take a few minutes and read it now. The pause carries incredible power in our lives. Today, let’s talk about creating consistency around that idea of pausing to reflect. We’ll explore two powerful truths.
Truth #1: Consistent margin creates a continual source of energy in your life. You’ve been there. Hours turn to days. Days turn to weeks. Weeks turn to months. Months turn to years. All the things you thought you would get around to aren’t even close to completion. You feel like you’ve accomplished very little and you’re exhausted too. Why? Simple. No margin in your life. If you allow it, life will . . . well, it will suck the life out of you. The cure is margin. And margin is a whole lot more than a 2-week vacation once a year. You know that 2 weeks’ rest won’t fuel you for the whole next year. What will fuel you for the next year is consistent time to stop, reflect, and plan. Andy Stanly has famously coined the phrase, “Don’t just work in it, but also work on it.” He’s talking about an organizational principle that says leaders are wise to back up from the day-to-day grind, get some space and perspective, and work on the plan before the dive back into executing the plan. What if you did this in your personal life, especially as it pertains to living out your God-given dreams? What if you took a full day and got away – maybe even to a different space – and dreamed and planned for your future? What if that one day spawned regular, pre-scheduled times in your calendar where you got away to rest, think, and assess how you’re progressing toward those dreams? If you did this, you would be creating margin and that margin would begin feeding your soul. The time stepping back would create energy for you in two ways. One is that you simply have time to unplug your brain from the day-to-day grind. This creates a natural return of energy. Second, progress creates energy. If you can see yourself making progress toward your dreams the energy infusion will be tangible.
Truth #2: Consistent margin leads to exponential results for you. If you keep your head down grinding out the work, you may gain some ground, but will you know where you’re going? The “work on it, not just in it” theme applies here too. Hustle is a current buzzword in the business and leadership world, but if you have a dream you’re working to fulfill it won’t happen with just pure hustle. You must know where you’re going to achieve the results you desire. You’re the captain of your ship. Imagine how the ship would go off course if the captain was always below deck rowing. When you’re consistently living in the margins, as we talked about above, you have your eyes clearly and consistently on the goal. Work on it, not just in it.
One of the best ways to get yourself living with consistent margin in your life is to work with a skilled coach who can help you maximize your time and effort as you work to achieve your dream. When you’re ready, our coaches are here to help you live with margin and get on track with your God-given dreams. Just click here to get started.
