Learning to Prioritise

I’ve been sitting in the sun and realising I have more time than I thought I did.

In starting a full-time job, I knew there would be an adjustment period as I got used to a time-sensitive to-do list on the weekend and more responsibility in how I spent my evenings. To help minimise the pressure of a new job, there were certain things I wanted to achieve every evening: making lunch for the next day, having a meal plan so I didn’t need to go grocery shopping during the week or cook dinner every night, that sort of thing. While I have always been a fairly organised person, this was a new level for me! And while I may not always be so strict, starting and learning a new job can take up so much more energy and space in my mind that I wanted to be as organised as possible. The less “other stuff” I needed to think about or worry about was key.

Keeping a Bullet Journal has already been such a big help, because I have all my lists in one place. Grocery list, morning and night routine, and a daily to-do list are all in one notebook which means I can easily write down my thoughts and mark things off as needed without needing to get my mind around scattered information. I have loved going through the Bullet Journal every morning and night and flipping to the right page as I mark things off. It is also encouraging my creativity in a new way, which has been a joy. While I have not delved into the world of illustrations and calligraphy, it has been fun to place stickers and format the information. I look forward to planning out my September pages now I have an idea of what works and what looks ugly.

I have also been pleasantly surprised at the motivation to read and write. Something about having less free time has encouraged me to spend what time I do have in ways that help me. In terms of creativity, health, and spirituality, I feel like I am more “on track” than I have been in the last few months. For instance, I have been loving reading in my lunch breaks at work, and before I go to bed. And the forty minute drive – that I thought would be a hassle – has proven to be a valuable time of creative thinking for my poetry and novel.

Learning a new rhythm over the last fortnight has been beneficial to my priorities, and has encouraged me that when I want to include new things in my week, like church, I will have the time and energy to do so.

Of course, we go through phases where we do certain things fairly easily for a while but then find ourselves out of a habit for a few weeks. I am not expecting to always have this much energy or motivation! But I am grateful for what these past two weeks have taught me, and what I am learning to implement more permanently in my life. While there have been ups and downs (yes, I have been known to complain about the difficulties of life!), God really is so good and I pray to see that more and more clearly as I continue to settle in. Let us find joy!

Sarah xx