New Year, New Rules

2018, It’s my time.

It’s much easier for me to procrastinate on things rather than start them. My signature has been as follows: leaving assignments for a later time, make excuses for going to the gym, and even watching episodes instead of studying for my classes.

I promised myself that 2018 will be a different year… that I will utilize every moment of the day and each moment will be purposeful, and that I will move closer and closer to reaching my goals.

I was inspired by a sermon I watched a few weeks ago from Devon Franklin titled, “Reclaiming My Time,” a tribute to congresswoman Maxine Waters. Ms. Waters introduced that phrase to us not too long ago , when she promised to ‘reclaim her time’ after another elected official chose to indirectly answer her questions about his unresponsiveness to her emails. The message of the sermon was simple: our time is precious and we cannot spend this valuable opportunity on things, activities, or people that are not teaching us, growing us, or helping us. Time is limited, and we have to use every bit of time we have in a purposeful way.

For me, reclaiming my time means spending less time on social media. It means waking up, fueling myself with worship and devotionals, making a to-do list, and accomplishing everything I have planned for myself that day. It means cutting out my greatest distractions and deciding I will not let any of my days lack fulfillment. Reclaiming my time means I will not allow myself to focus on the areas in my life of which I have no control. I will focus on everything in front of me, one step at a time, and work hard on all of my tasks until they are completed. Reclaiming my time means cutting out all the bull… and focusing on the relationships, activities, and hobbies that matter most to me.

Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

This tells me that I do not have the luxury of knowing I can accomplish something tomorrow or the next week. The time that I have is now. Tomorrow is not promised, but today is, and today is the only day I am guaranteed an opportunity. I am given the same 24 hours of everyone else in the world, but it is up to me to use those hours properly.

This is the year it all changes. It is the year I learn to work my window, making the most of each hour, minute, and second I have been given.