The Husband and I have recently been taking a closer look at how we spend our time. We seem to be great at creating space to spend time together and keep life from getting too hectic. But we struggle to know what to do with the time we create.
[insert picture of us sitting side-by-side on the couch staring at our laptops]
[caption: this is our go-to activity and we usually get stuck in this position for the entire evening]
We decided a long-term approach would be healthier than a one-week detox so we put up some new boundaries. We only get 20 minutes on the computer each evening (important emailing, bills, etc. not included). So now we have to figure out what to do with the rest of our time. Steven made a list of possibilities, but last night we didn't feel like doing any of the things on the list (finish building bookshelves, clean the gutters, memorize Scripture...). So I took him out on a date.
Earlier in the day I had seen this post on Facebook:
The seasonal Scrabble board got me. It looked so fun! Maybe we would have more fun playing games for 2 if we were in public and other people were doing it also! It gets better.
Our close married-couple friends were also planning to stop by! Well, to make a long, pathetic story short, it turns out that yesterday was not Tuesday. For a while we thought maybe our friends had stood us up, but it turned out we were painfully early. Twenty-four hours early. We did have a nice little date and probably played more Dutch Blitz than we would have if we'd stayed home. Maybe we'll try again tonight. I guess the important part is that our main goal of not spending the whole evening on our computers was accomplished!
Have you ever heard of the 10,000 hour rule? Here's a brief article about it. Basically, some people have suggested that it takes at least 10,000 hours of practice to master a skill. I've heard this applied especially to musicians and chess players. There's plenty of research out there that negates the rule, but it's still an interesting concept. We were talking about it in Sunday school last Sunday and I realized that if I only pray for 30 minutes every day, it will take me almost 55 years to be a master at prayer.
Then I got to thinking. What am I already a master of?
* Being a wife. Assuming I'm working at being a wife 24/7, I've been practicing for over 11,000 hours.
* Being a student. Homeschool law in PA requires proof of 990 hours of work each year. With that plus my college hours combined, I know I am way passed being an expert.
* Eating. If you estimate 30 minutes per meal, I was an expert before I was out of my teens. It will take me a while before I can be considered a master of cooking...
* Sleeping. Most of us are masters at sleeping before we get to Kindergarten.
I've practiced a lot of things, but I've been doing very few of them long enough to reach mastery. Barista, counselor, babysitter, artist, runner, gymnast, soccer player, pianist all fail to reach the mark. Even things I consider a deep part of who I am fail to live up to the 10,000 hour challenge! This definitely changes the way I look at how I spend my time!
What are you a master of?
[insert picture of us sitting side-by-side on the couch staring at our laptops]
[caption: this is our go-to activity and we usually get stuck in this position for the entire evening]
We decided a long-term approach would be healthier than a one-week detox so we put up some new boundaries. We only get 20 minutes on the computer each evening (important emailing, bills, etc. not included). So now we have to figure out what to do with the rest of our time. Steven made a list of possibilities, but last night we didn't feel like doing any of the things on the list (finish building bookshelves, clean the gutters, memorize Scripture...). So I took him out on a date.
Earlier in the day I had seen this post on Facebook:The seasonal Scrabble board got me. It looked so fun! Maybe we would have more fun playing games for 2 if we were in public and other people were doing it also! It gets better.
Our close married-couple friends were also planning to stop by! Well, to make a long, pathetic story short, it turns out that yesterday was not Tuesday. For a while we thought maybe our friends had stood us up, but it turned out we were painfully early. Twenty-four hours early. We did have a nice little date and probably played more Dutch Blitz than we would have if we'd stayed home. Maybe we'll try again tonight. I guess the important part is that our main goal of not spending the whole evening on our computers was accomplished!
Have you ever heard of the 10,000 hour rule? Here's a brief article about it. Basically, some people have suggested that it takes at least 10,000 hours of practice to master a skill. I've heard this applied especially to musicians and chess players. There's plenty of research out there that negates the rule, but it's still an interesting concept. We were talking about it in Sunday school last Sunday and I realized that if I only pray for 30 minutes every day, it will take me almost 55 years to be a master at prayer.
Then I got to thinking. What am I already a master of?
* Being a wife. Assuming I'm working at being a wife 24/7, I've been practicing for over 11,000 hours.
* Being a student. Homeschool law in PA requires proof of 990 hours of work each year. With that plus my college hours combined, I know I am way passed being an expert.* Eating. If you estimate 30 minutes per meal, I was an expert before I was out of my teens. It will take me a while before I can be considered a master of cooking...
* Sleeping. Most of us are masters at sleeping before we get to Kindergarten.
I've practiced a lot of things, but I've been doing very few of them long enough to reach mastery. Barista, counselor, babysitter, artist, runner, gymnast, soccer player, pianist all fail to reach the mark. Even things I consider a deep part of who I am fail to live up to the 10,000 hour challenge! This definitely changes the way I look at how I spend my time!
What are you a master of?
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