We stand at the beginning of a brand new year, or a new season, or a new month, or a new day, and time stretches before us, waiting to be filled.
And we have a pile of blocks beside us, ready to build something beautiful with the time we’ve been given. Some of the blocks are the tasks we’re responsible for, the minutiae of sweeping the floor, paying the bills, mowing the lawn. Some of the blocks feel weighty: raising our kids, caring for aging parents, cultivating healthy relationships. Other blocks are rest and recreation, the activities that bring us joy and delight and pleasure.
When the blocks run out and our time is up on this earth, I want to be proud of what I’ve built. I want God to be pleased with my offering, with the fruit of my days.
And therein lies the rub, why I struggle with “time anxiety.” Once I’ve used a block, that time is gone. There are no re-dos for time already spent. I’m plagued by the many “shoulds” shouting in my ear. I’m distracted by what other people are building with their block towers. I’m annoyed when the minutiae crowd out the rest and recreation blocks, but I feel guilty when I build with too many blocks that bring my joy while ignoring the minutiae.
The constant decision-making that goes into spending our time and building with our blocks can take its toll. It can lead to constant second-guessing, anxiety, stress, overwhelm, even shame.
How to overcome time anxiety (a free e-book!)
As I’ve wrestled with these feelings, I’ve confronted some unhelpful mindsets that have contributed to my time anxiety. Naming them and reflecting upon them have helped me reframe them into better mindsets about time. I’m eager to share what I’ve learned here in a short e-book (free to subscribers!) in the hopes that it will help you shift your mindsets about time and reduce your time anxiety. To this end, I’ve provided a reflection question at the end of each mindset shift in the e-book. You can use these questions to journal your thoughts in the space provided or discuss with a friend (or both!). Download your e-book in the Free for You library, or sign up here and tell me where to send it!
May we go forward in confidence, building our lives with gratitude for the time God has given us!
Sarah K. Butterfield 