I’ve noticed over the last few years, I have developed a bad habit – leaving books half read. I was never a HUGE reader but I did and still do enjoy reading. Life was crazy as a single mom with a stressful job as a Social Worker but I did like to escape for a little while in a good book. I am a fan of fiction and some self-help books.
My concentration level has drastically changed with the onset of MS symptoms. The MS has affected my memory so reading became difficult. I would read something and within hours forget what I read. It now seems like a great excuse for the many piles of books I haven’t started yet – or worse, half read and then forgot about. My Kindle app is full of books but the truth is, most of them are half read or have never been uploaded to my Ipad. Collected for “some day” when I “have time”.
I love reading. Books were my happy place. A chance for me to get away from the craziness of life. Now, reading requires lots of concentration – no music in the background just silence. But on a typical day where I’m balancing my business, my home, my relationships, and my health, I seldom find time to carve out 30 minutes or so for getting lost in a good book. Of course, reading before bed is a definite no-no. I am asleep before I have read the first page.
The truth is, I’m just not prioritizing reading. Whether it is to help me grow my business, strengthen my relationships or just escape from life, I need to give it time since it is important to me.
I have similar experiences with my long distance relationships – my mom, and my best friend. Our lives are all so busy, we’ve got into a bad habit of letting weeks go by before we are actually talking to each other. Communication falls to texts and emails. I know no matter what, in the long run – we’ll always be there for each other – but the truth is friendships or relationships can’t thrive without communication.
As for the books, I’ve made a promise to myself I will stick with a book from start to finish (unless it’s really bad) and actually give myself space and time to really take something away from it, instead of just dipping in and out now and again before bed. So far, that is what I’ve been doing and reading is becoming enjoyable again.
Why am I sharing this with you on a Friday – the first Friday of the New Year? I am being “accountable” for my actions, in all areas of my life this year.
So, what’s important to you? Family? Worship? Friends? Reading? Work? Do you realize there are always things we say are important to us but we’re not actually prioritizing them in our lives.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What are the things you say are important to you, you’re not actually making space for?
- Dive deep for a minute and ask yourself: is this actually important to me? If so, why? If not, how can I let go of it?
- For the important things, how can you dedicate more time to them? It’s totally natural in our busy lives to struggle to “do it all” – it doesn’t mean it’s not worth still making space for – but what can you put in place to make it easier for yourself to actually do the things you want to do?
For me? I’m going to finish reading “You are a Badass” by Jen Sincero. Then I am moving on to a fiction book. As for what is FIRST in my life, I’m going to put a date in my planner to hang out with my hubby, my mom and my best friend,
Comment below and let me know – how are you going to make space for what’s most important to you this week?
Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!
Hope Wissel 