Margin

The definition of margin goes something like this; the spare amount or measure or degree allowed or given for contingencies or special situations 

In the business and financial world, everyone knows what margin is. The basic formula for figuring margin is revenue divided by profit. Profit equals revenue minus costs. If you spent all of your revenue you have no margin at all.

In our personal lives, if there's too much month at the end of the money, then we can pretty much say that we have no margin.

Life and the school of hard knocks tends to teach us the importance of margin and by the time you're my age you probably have a good handle on it. It can be summed up by the old saying, "don't spend more than you make!"

Some of us struggle more than others when it comes to learning and probably for all of us, more in one area than another.  For me, I would say that my area of struggle is finding a margin of time.  It's a little different because everyone spends every minute of time they are allotted doing something. 

Time, minus time spent, pretty much means that there is no margin of time.

Maybe time management is probably the better word but I still like the idea of margin. I can manage all of my time well, fill the day with lots of good things, get it all done, and have no margin at all. Is that ok?

With our kids in the tween and teen years, there are so many opportunities and good things for them to be involved in.  On top of  that, Jenelle and I seem to keep our plates pretty full with other stuff. With so many schedules, time management is very important for us.

Often, when someone asks us to do something, we look at our schedule and if it fits, we say yes.

It tends to keep us hopping.

But what about those ordained, maybe even spiritual encounters that arise? Things that take time like bumping into a neighbor at the store, or taking time to actually listen to someone, playing a game with the kids, or going for a walk with a friend? If our time is all planned out, how do we find time for that?

In starting Keen and Bright, our hope  was to walk the path that the Creator called us to, and to encourage you to do the same. Along this path, I believe that he wants us to have a healthy margin of time.

It is so easy to get caught up in busyness and being productive. 

I want to do better with my margins. I hope that you do the same.