I feel the need to elaborate on my unscheduling post of a few days ago.

The idea of unscheduling — or at least slowing down — has been a recurring effort in my life, particularly in the past year and a half. Perhaps you’ve made attempts to slow down periodically as well.

I started taking Fridays off from work around Memorial Day 2008. Originally, I saw the day as my time to focus on writing for God. That worked for a while. Pretty soon, however, work started crowding into that time. And errands. And personal appointments. The rest and renewal I had hoped would come from a day of writing got set aside to accommodate my busyness and my persistent need to please others. I would work on Fridays because it was inconvenient for clients or work colleagues to plan for my absence on Fridays. I would run errands on Fridays because it was more convenient when the stores were not as busy as they are on the weekends. My time with God slipped away – it crowded out by the world. So, I’ve started putting the boundaries back up. I’ve consciously stopped scheduling things for Fridays. It feels good – good for my relationship with God and others, and good for my personal well being.

About 6 to 9 months ago, I tried another tactic to find some peace and sanity. A slave to my schedule, I had noticed week after week when every evening on my schedule was filled with activity — all activities I thought important. I was living  - no, existing – at a frenetic pace. As the weeks went on, I grew weary and crabby to the point of having a complete meltdown by the weekend. The busyness of my schedule made me crazy. So, I started scheduling a night at home. (I guess this is contrary to the idea of unscheduling but it’s what I had to do to regain some sense of peace.)  One night, every week, that’s blocked off for me. This little effort has been an immense help at returning some sanity. It gives me the peace to make it through the rest of the week.

Both Fridays off and scheduling a night at home have helped me rearrange my priorities. It gives me time for God and time for myself. They’re times when I can shut out the world and focus on what’s important to me. To get renewed.

If we don’t put up the walls around our schedules, the world will determine our priorities for us. We’ll be plowed under by appointments and things we “should” do. What do you do to make sure you’re giving God and yourself needed time for restoring your spirit and peace? I’m curious to know what works for others.