From Our House to Yours
Finding Balance in Life with a Pie Chart
Emmett and I have been working on pie charts in HOD‘s Singapore Math 6B. Half a pie is 50%, a quarter is 25%, one-tenth is 10%, and so on. I began to think about what my life would look like in a pie chart of time. What if I made a pie chart with how I usually spend 24 hours each day? How much of the pie chart would be devoted to homeschooling? Time with God? Health? Entertainment? Errands? Cooking? Cleaning? Sleeping? Work? Media usage? Appointments? Time with my husband? Or, what if I made a pie chart of a month? Of a year? What if each of my sons made a pie chart of their time? A pie chart is an interesting way to think about how we spend our time, isn’t it? I would think our pie charts would reveal whether our life is in balance or not.
Balance in life is important, but it will naturally vary based on our stage of life.
We all know it is good to strive for balance in life. Isn’t it odd how we can easily look at others’ usage of time and see where we think their pie charts are off? She’s on FB way too much! He’s a workaholic. She’s always at the gym! All she does is homeschool! He’s way too into sports. She never spends time with her husband. He should make more time for God. All they do is run from one activity to the next! She’s always shopping. He’s always eating out. These are snap judgments that may or may not be right, especially considering we might be in a different stage of life than the person we are judging. However, I will say, one thing is certain; it is easier to see where other people’s balance is off than to see where our own balance is off.
Each person’s pie chart will vary based on their stage of life and God-given purposes.
God made each of us His own unique creation, with different gifts and purposes. Because of this, our pie charts will be balanced in their own unique ways. Rather than spending time judging other people’s use of time, our time would be better spent considering how we spend our days. The comparing game is never a good one. Either we fall short or come out ahead, and neither leaves us with a good feeling. Instead of looking at others, we should take a look at ourselves. Not in a negative way, but more in a reflective way. Is there something I’m giving way too much time to that I shouldn’t? Or, is there something I’m not giving any time to that I should? What’s out of balance in my life in an unhealthy way, and how can I try to fix it?
To have a healthy life, some things should be on everyone’s pie chart!
No matter what stage of life we are in or what our purpose or goals in life are, certain things really do need to make it on everyone’s pie chart. For example, time with God, somehow, really needs to be represented. Maintaining relationships (with our parents, children, husband, etc.) should show up too. What it takes to stay healthy (food, water, exercise, sleep, etc.) really should make an appearance! Time to homeschool must be present (if we are homeschooling). House upkeep, errands, appointments – alas, must put in an appearance too. This week, I’m taking a good long look at the balance in my pie chart! I’m going to start just be being very mindful of how exactly I’m spending my time. But then, I’m going to look for what is clearly out of balance and make some changes! Want to join me?!? Let’s get balanced together!
In Christ,
Julie
