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Focusing on The Most Important Things
10th September 2009
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?
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fixe/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
When I started WellSpirit Consulting Group, Inc., I knew I needed to put in “full-time” work hours(during week days; business hours). However,in order to do that, I had to nix several things about my routine that I loved: my weekday morning Bible study, my substitute teaching, my morning coffee group (to name a few). These were all worthy activities; yet I needed to focus on my passion and calling in organizational leadership. So, I did it. It has been a hard line in the sand for me. But I love it! I get nostalgic sometimes for my old routine–nevertheless, the new journey I’m on with WellSpirit is so invigorating and I know it’s the right thing–so it’s all good.
I think I know who your sportswriting friend is.
To answer your question… I have the perfect job for a long-term career. I can work from home. My hours are flexible. The pay is great. But when I’m working on a project, the project is ALL I can think about – I have trouble sleeping because my brain can’t stop spinning, and I have trouble focusing on anything that isn’t work-related.
That’s fine for now. But when my husband and I decide to have kids, I want to be able to give them my undivided attention and I want to be a stay-at-home mom. I will have the option of working from home part-time, but I’m starting to wonder if I’ll be able to concentrate on my family with the way my personality type (ISTJ) brings work home.
Quitting when we have kids would mean a significant income loss. It will be a tough decision to make when the time comes, but it might be the necessary decision. I guess only time will tell, but reading your blog made me start to think about what my priorities will be.
Ahhhhhh! The conundrum of being a responsible grown-up!
I’m still trying to figure out how to do the balancing act. I’ve said no to hobbies I know I would enjoy because I don’t have the time to do the things I already enjoy. I think it’s healthy to have leisure habits that feed other parts of your soul separately from your more passionate pursuits. When those more passionate pursuits are ministry, it seems God ultimately winds them all together anyway.
Josh isn’t writing anymore? A definite loss for the world. You both have a gift.
Thanks everyone for your thoughtful comments…I really appreciate it.
@Sheryl Of course I can’t speak for Josh, but I can’t imagine he’ll ever stop writing all together!
I guess I’m no mystery to those reading Nathan’s blog. ;-)
No, I haven’t stopped writing. But I am in the process of drastically scaling back my sports writing, in order to give me time for my work and my other hobbies … music, motorcycles, personal study (I have an ambitious study plan for personal, independent study — VERY ambitious for someone who reads as slow as I do), and writing in other areas.
I will never stop writing, but ultimately, I only have time for so much — and I find writing about philosophy, faith, religion, the church, and life in general to be more rewarding, in the end, than writing about sports. I do intend to continue sports writing here and there, but not as one of my primary functions, and not as something that takes up nearly as much time as it has recently.
In the end, I’ve just got too many hobbies and passions! And as I hinted on the Facebook version of this post, I do hope to give this a try one of these days:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/10/polyphasic-sleep/
I’ve read most of Pavalina’s posts on polyphasic sleep…in the end it was too socially weird for him to keep up. Although…the amount of time you would gain is compelling. I’d gain a lot I could just manage to live on 6.5 hours of sleep. That would be awesome.
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