I recently had a nice long video chat with a really good friend. We spent a pretty significant amount time talking about priorities and the things that were really important to us…the things really worth our time. I noted that while I am passionate about Free Software and Linux (don’t get me wrong…I believe software freedom is a critical issue in our culture) I am ultimately more fulfilled spending most of my time composing music and pondering things that help me become a better minister.
My friend and I talked about the hard truth that there are only so many hours in a day, and sometimes you’ve got to give up things that you really enjoy—in his case sportswriting, in my case Linux blogging—for things that you know add more long-term value to your life. Of course, some people would give up their music hobby for their technology career, and that’s totally fine. I’m not saying that music has more intrinsic value than technology—so if you’re a tech buff, don’t get mad 
What I’m saying that is that for me, music and ministry are the greater passions, and so I’ve chosen to focus on those things in order to really give them my all. So I quit blogging about Linux. I cleared hundreds of Linux news RSS feeds out of Google Reader, and I unsubscribed the vast majority of software development mailinglists I was on.
It’s still tough though…old habits die hard. I still spend way too much time making sure I’m totally up-to-date on the latest and greatest news from the Free and Open Source Software world, and even though my computer works perfectly fine, I end up tinkering with it quite a bit…because, for me it’s just so fun! I have no desire to purge Linux or the enjoyment I get from using it from my life…on the contrary, I plan to remain a vocal advocate for Free Software, and I’ll probably always use Linux exclusively as much as I can. But I still really need to cut back, to care a bit less. Sounds kind of silly writing it out, but I’ve really built up some habits around my hobby that are—ultimately—huge time sinks that I do need to purge. Instead of endlessly fiddling with themes, scripts, and the latest-and-greatest web browser release, I should be tinkering with melodies, memorizing Scripture, and honing my ear training skills.
I don’t want to be a workaholic, but I do want some of my “leisure” habits to feed more naturally into those things I am most passionate about.
Have you ever had to scale back on something you really loved, to focus on things you love more? Did you find balance in the midst of it all, or did you have have to draw a hard line in the sand?
