Time Allocation

​A MACRO APPROACH TO TIME

Many years ago, a podcast from the Professional Christian Coaching Institute (PCCI) changed my view on time.[1] Allow me to elaborate on that episode and explain how I segment my time. This approach is entirely adaptable for everyone, regardless of one’s profession or personality type.

Overview

There are three broad categories where we spend our waking hours. They are Worship, Work, and Play. In the illustration above, these items are listed at the corners of the triangle, but just because each item has its own corner, it does not mean we must spend 33% of our time on each. Based on the definitions, it is impossible to divide them equally. Part of the adaptability of this diagram is that you may choose which of your activities shows up in each corner. Let’s define the three categories so this illustration makes more sense. Undoubtedly, the most significant portion of your day goes toward work. In the model, the term “work” not only represents a 9 to 5 profession but also includes travel time, household duties, family time, and other things required to care for the people around us and ourselves. Part of our “work” provides money for food, and other parts go toward raising children, running a family, and maintaining a home. The key is that if you fully engage in your work, it will fill your body. Even before the first sin, God gave Adam work to do. Work is not a curse, nor is it a result of sin. Although we do not know precisely what it will curtail, there will be wor k to do in heaven. You will not float around on clouds being bored all day. Colossians 3:22 instructs us to do everything as to the Lord. Based on this, a proper attitude and appropriate work ethic are the two critical factors in how you should engage your work. When that is the case, your effort fills your body with a sense of accomplishment. The second category, worship, represents the times you intentionally spend focused on your Creator. Worship is putting your mind’s attention and heart’s affection on God alone.As defined in this illustration, it includes times of public and private worship, planned and unplanned. Stop and think about the times you truly worshiped God. Schedules and surroundings no longer mattered. Priorities shifted so that maximum attention was put on the object of your worship – God. Most likely, it was an emotional time that you wished you could repeat regularly. On the other hand, each of us knows of times when we were in a place of worship but not really worshipping. Just like with your work, genuine worship offers a reciprocal effect. When you fully engage in worship, it glorifies God and feeds your spirit. In other words, the more you put into it, the more you receive. The final category is play. This category is set aside for things you enjoy doing. Although they might also be connected to your profession or worship, you primarily do the activity because you enjoy it. Play was created by God. Joyfulness and creativity are parts of God’s character, meaning we also have the freedom to engage in fun activities. Items in this category fill the soul. When the soul is filled, the mind, will, and emotions will be renewed. In short, it must be a part of your life. Perhaps you heard the story of a ball player who started playing his sport for the love of the game, but as he progressed toward the professional ranks, the sport became less enjoyable and more of a job. Eventually, he grew tired of the game he used to love and claimed he became burnt out. You see, too often, we find ourselves out of balance. The arrows in the illustration represent this point. We allow ourselves to worship some of the items in our “work” category while ignoring other ones which we need to be doing. Next, we turn the items of play into a work activity. Like the story of the ball player, we lose the joy the activity was meant to bring. And finally, our unbalance causes us to play with our worship. In other words, we do not take it seriously. In each example, (1) worshiping our work, (2) working at our play, and (3) playing with our worship, our person remains unfilled. As a result, we feel exhausted, unmotivated, and looking for an escape. The final piece of the illustration is the large arrow pointing outside the triangle. When you are unfulfilled in the three categories, time spent on escapes can take over. Escape usually represents something negative but does not always have to represent a grievous sin. In essence, it is spending time on something mind-numbing instead of life-filling. Personally, I numb my mind by watching TV. I know it is not the best thing I do with my time because when I turn off the TV, I have less satisfaction and energy than when I first sat down. From personal experience, this model works best when you engage in all three activities as they are meant to be done. When your body, soul, and spirit are being fed, there is no need for an escape. You are receiving the things God intended for you, and you are satisfied with them. How different would your life be when you look forward to work, long for times of worship, and get excited about the time you set aside for play? It can be done, and as a life coach, I can help you progress toward a more balanced lifestyle.

[1] http://professionalchristiancoachingtoday.com/024-worship-work-play-model-life-balance/