If I want writing to become a bigger part of my life, I need to carve out specific time to do it each day. That in and of itself is daunting and discouraging because I really don’t carve out time for anything consistently. I dream that I will be the kind of person who spends time at the end of the day planning out the next day, complete with a schedule of activities that support my overall dreams and goals. It’s nice to have dreams isn’t it?

The thing is, life is not going to slow down. I am not going to magically find more hours in the day. And with two children who will continue to grow and add activities to our lives, I will be waiting around forever for more “time” to write. I need to make time and I need to establish that habit now.

There is also another habit I need to make. I have the hardest time spending consistent time studying the Bible. I have had rich seasons where Bible study was so refreshing and energizing and satisfying that I prioritized it above all other things I could be doing in my free time. I know that I am better off when I make this study a regular part of my days. But I always, ALWAYS, fall out of the habit. Its so annoying! And yes, its extremely difficult to find time to study anything when you have small children. But really, I do not believe it will get any easier as they grow older. I need to decide what is important to me now and carve out the time to give these things the attention they need.

In fact, its not just Bible study and writing that I want to be a part of my days… hello exercise! Who knows where that is going to fit in. All I know is that there are 24 hours in a day, surely I can allot 2 or 3 of those hours to focusing on enriching activities that will make me a better version of myself, for my kids, for my husband, for the Lord. Before you say to me 2 or 3 hours is a little much for this season of life… let me confess to you how much time I spend wasting time. Candy Crush, anyone?

The first time Brian and I met with a financial counselor he had us go back over the last 6 months and write down everything we spent money on down to the dollar and cent. Then we added up the totals for each category and we were stunned at how much money we spent on frivolous things and how a few dollars here and there quickly add up and become a drain on your bank account. The point of the exercise was to gain a better understanding of where our money was going and find places were we could save and/or reallocate funds.

Could it be the same with time? Isn’t my time more valuable than money? Perhaps I could take a cue from my financial counselor and start taking account of how much time I spend on certain activities so I can see where I can save time and apply it to new activities. Because the truth is, no one knows how much time we actually have, so shouldn’t we be making the most of every moment? Our time is much too valuable to waste.

Maybe this realization will end up being the big take away from this exercise of writing for 31 days straight. Maybe its time for me to evaluate how I spend my time and begin making some changes.