I have been reading a bunch of people talk about adding margin to their lives.
Margin,
I remember my teachers telling me not to write in the margins on                     my school papers. That our eyes needed the space to be able to see the words.
White space,
My art teachers said white space was essential for helping you                        realize what was important.
Down time,
Can be many things to many people; a computer that quite                          working, a factory machine that being maintained. The main idea                      here is that what ever it is, is Not Working.
Breathing time,
A time to catch your breath. This reminds me of the breathing                        treatments we had to give our daughter for her asthma. She would                    be gasping for air and then the nebulizer would start running and                      she would finally be able to get full lungs worth of air. It forced her                     to sit and just breath for about 20 minutes off and on through out                      the day. I wonder how much more would get done and how much                     more creative we would be if we forced ourselves to sit and just                      breath, no multi-tasking, no rushing from here to there.
Coffee time,
A time to sit and drink coffee. This reminds me of Saturday                           mornings as  a child watching my Father read the newspaper and                     drink his coffee as the sunshine streamed into the kitchen. It was a                    very restful, warm, relaxed feeling to it. Rather like a mini vacation                     in the midst of the daily rush.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/173400035/theres-always-time-for-coffee-8×10-print
Fishing time,
Time to sit and talk with someone you love.
A chance to reflect on life.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/56012169/canoe-in-the-lake-watercolor-print-boat
I think people today spend too much time worrying, running errands, texting, driving, eating, rushing, nursing, shuttling, emailing, or facebooking. We don’t have down time, a chance to get bored or just rest and be quiet. A chance to regroup and think.
Several years ago, when all of the kids were home. We had such a finely tuned schedule that if any 1 thing happened the whole schedule would fall apart. We had four kids homeschooling and they were each in two activities per week including church activities and music lessons. So I was driving every single day and would be gone for hours at a time. In more recent days, I was working at the kids’ school from 7:30 – 3:30 and then the kids had practice/sports until 5 or 6 and we often wouldn’t get home until 8 at night. I am telling you this so that you know that I have walked in those shoes.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/110352835/2014-cuppa-tea-or-coffee-desk-calendar
I have been working a bit this year at adding margin. I need margin in so many areas of my life.
My business…. I have so many supplies I can’t think what to do next. I spend all of my time putting things away, managing supplies, cleaning up, and searching for needed items. I need space in my storage containers, not so I can fill them back up but so that I can get rid of some and enjoy the space. This is why I am doing the Use my Stash or 100 items in 100 days challenge!
My home…We (all of us) are working at adding peace and margin to our home. We are trying to get things less cluttered and a bit more up to date. While using the supplies that we have so we don’t blow our budget. It isn’t hard but it does take imagination and work.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/157004734/1920s-rumford-book-on-home-management
White space in money management is called the emergency fund and a budget. We are using both this year. It is helping us manage our spending so we spend money on things that are important and not spur of the moment!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/89181845/ceramic-piggy-bank-yellow
These are just a few areas where we are adding margin or white space. A safety bumper so we don’t get over stressed.
Where are you adding margin in you life? Do you need more white space?
Talk to you later,
Karen
But it is improving…slowly but surely. The house is repaired and running properly.
