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What do people really get for all their hard work?.... So I conclude there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. Ecclesiastes 3:9; 12-13

 

A couple of weeks ago, I met with my coach to do some time management work. During our session, she asked me, "How much time do you a lot for fun?"  To both of our surprise, the answer was minimal to none. On my birthday in July, I went to Cabo San Lucas with my sister, niece, and great-nephew. And, for Christmas, I went to Costa Rica with my sister, niece, and this time my great-niece. I did nothing but work for, at, or on something between January and July and July and December. Each day I get up at 4:00 a.m. to daily devotion and dream and vision until 5:00 a.m. Then, I get coffee, make up my bed, and exercise for 30 minutes. At 6:00 a.m. I check email, do some writing, and/or work on my non-profit until 8 or 8:30 a.m. After that, I get dressed to start work at 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. and end somewhere between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.  Tired at the end of the day, I ate dinner and watched trash TV for a bit and then went to bed. My routine was the same Saturday except for cleaning the house and grocery shopping and Sunday going to church. Both days I work on the non-profit.  

 

My fun got lost, and I neglected joyful times between vacations. That is too long and not a picture of work and life balance.

 

Despite the pandemic, I invited a select couple of friends for fried fish, chicken wings, baked crab and games, long walks, or movie nights. Or, I would order up some food for myself, select movies, or grab a book, pop popcorn, cop a corner on the couch, and just enjoy time alone. I made myself too busy to even do that somewhere down the line. In the meantime, I contacted my doctor to order tests to figure out why I was so tired. Was I low on iron? Nope. Have I depleted of Vitamin D? A little. However, the real culprit was I stopped enjoying the fruits of my labor. I got trapped in the habit of the hustle and grind. I managed to eliminate having a good time (and rest) off my schedule, depleting my energy.

 

There is a supply and demand of energy required to live our lives. One of the fueling stations for living a balanced life is time set aside to appreciate the rewards of our hard work. So, significant to our power source is scheduling time to "eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor," whether it is unplugging to hang out with our people, riding a bike, or getting lost in a good book. In my session, I realized that time management's efficiency and productivity also frees time to ensure I enjoy the gift of good times. So, now I also conclude, "there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can."