While it’s true we will find the time to do the important things in life, scheduling our time helps us to protect important matters as well. It’s all too easy to let the urgent keep us distracted, and there’s much wisdom in setting regular itineraries for our life and relationships.
To be sure, there’s a certain appeal to simply going with the flow of life and not having everything so structured and scheduled. And life can become suffocating when every decision is essentially micromanaged. There needs to be enough space in our days for things to breathe.
At the same time, setting an itinerary helps us keep important matters from getting lost in the busyness of life.
For instance, we might schedule regular rhythms for our sexual encounters. And much like scheduling a vacation, this doesn’t have to rob us of the fun, joy, and spontaneity still available once we arrive. Our sexual itinerary simply keeps it a priority as we budget our time.
And we might need to schedule regular times for our friends as well. With the constant demands of work and family life, friendships are a necessary luxury easy to neglect. Putting time with our friends on our itinerary allows us to be intentional about fostering these relationships and receiving the many benefits they offer.
Likewise, we might also need to place personal time on our itineraries. As much as we’re called to pour ourselves out for others, we must also have regular times of filling back up. Scheduling personal time is not selfish, but our way to stay grounded in God and restored to continue loving others well.
Whatever it looks like, setting an itinerary helps to manage our time and protect the things important to us. It’s easy to find ourselves spread thin and distracted otherwise.
In the end, allow for breathing room without neglecting important matters. Set an itinerary to help you wisely manage your time and protect your priorities throughout your life and relationships.
Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash
