Life in a Day
How was your day? Would you be okay if that was the typical day for the rest of your life? Maybe you still get the occasional trip to Disneyland and too the rare funeral? As for a good, average day, was today one of those days? I hope so. It was for me. Nothing special really but a good day.
I do believe life is a marathon not a sprint, but it is a marathon ran on a loop. Maybe the loop has some tough spots and a hill or two? To make the metaphor more specific, you can alter the loop at times with effort. Each day you complete a loop and pass the baton to the next runner, a new version of you. A copy of yesterday’s version but new nonetheless.
Place the Tortoise and the Hare on the loop. Which would you bet on? I know the story is hard to accept. How could a tortoise win? I believe the tortoise does win. I believe slow and steady wins the race. Run each day, each average, typical day in a way to win.
Annie Dillard says it better, “How you live a day is how you live a life.” My typical day includes work of course, but work doesn’t come first. On a good day, I’ll pray first. Read. Go for a walk with my wife. Enjoy a cup of coffee. I need to make time to study each day.
I think of my day in 3 big chunks:
A. Early morning till after lunch. ~ 7am to 1pm
- Analytical, good time for puzzle type problems.
- Get work done time.
- Only meet if it's status updates or operational
- Not only work; don't forget family life. Who gets the best of you?
B. After lunch till early evening. ~ 1pm to 6pm
- More open to new ideas and discussion with others, good for mysteries.
- Idea generation meetings
- Introduction to new ideas or suggestions
C. Evening till early morning. ~ 6pm to 10pm
- Finish up work if needed.
- Social time.
- Talk to family and friends.
- Prepare to land the day with a good night's sleep.
None of that is exact timing, and I exchange or rearrange was life demands. It’s a template for a typical day. A day I’d be okay with living for the rest of my life.
When I feel overwhelmed, I write down what’s bugging me. I set a timer and devote 30 min to what’s important then I switch topic and give 30 min to some other important task. I do my best to stick to what I planned on doing and not just what I feel like doing. When in doubt, I wonder what I can do to prep for tomorrow, the next loop around.
Food and weather have a big impact on me, so eating is important. If I eat a big, carb-loaded lunch, my quality of life goes down for the afternoon. You’ll need to test your eating choices to find what’s best for you.
Remember when Elijah was depressed, the angel told him to have a snack, a nap, and then to get going. 1st Kings Chapter 19.
Today is the only day you need to focus on.
What’s your plan?