How is Your Margin?

This post was written by Michael Pfau of Crossways Life Coaching, LLC. To connect with Michael, see the information in the bio at the end of this post.

Marketplace mission begins with margin. Unfortunately, margin has become a casualty in our hyper-linked, hyper-distracted world. For some reason, we think we need to be as busy as possible to feel productive, or in some cases, to meet our need for affirmation. However, living at this pace comes at a steep cost.

It All Starts with Margin

Most of us want to feel like our lives make a difference, but our schedules are so packed that we eventually find ourselves simply trying to keep our heads above water. Some even wear a full schedule as a badge of honor. When asked, “How are you?” we all hear it, and our retort is “busy!” Our busyness might not feel as frustrating if we knew that the majority of our time was being spent on the things that matter most to God and us, like family.

What is Margin?

When I talk about margin, I mean having enough time, energy, mental space, and finances to live the life God wants you to live. One of the biggest challenges we face even in trying to connect with God is the idea of “fitting him in.” In reality, everything should begin with God, and our schedule should be informed and flow from this place.

The Choice

In my twenty years of partnering with people who want to live with purpose, I’ve observed that they flounder and get frustrated when their desires for change are strong but they’re unwilling to make the hard choices to create margin. And it is a hard choice. This is because most of the time God wants us to surrender our schedule and the outcomes that we try to create to him. Often, surrender creates fear or anxiousness because we feel we are no longer in control. Surrender to God means placing our hope in him and turning over control of outcomes to him.

There are four areas of margin you will want to consider:

Spiritual self-care

Mental and emotional self-care

Physical self-care

Relational self-care

I’ll share more about each of these in a subsequent article, along with resources to help you; however, in the meantime, begin to look for ways to carve out five or ten minutes a few times a day to slow down and do nothing but settle yourself in the Lord. Say to him, “Jesus, I give everyone and everything to you.” You will find that this simple practice alone, if done a few times each day, will make a huge difference in your life.

Featured Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels; In-Text Photo by Ono Kosuki on Pexels