A few thoughts on time, energy, busyness, and the fact we are finite, limited creatures who were made to live and work in 24 hour days, 7 day weeks, with one full day in each week set aside for rest. (God called this arrangement “good,” by the way.)

From bnet business network:

Dr Richard Swenson, a physician who does a lot of work on margin and burnout, is fond of reminding people of Lazlo’s Chinese Relativity Axiom: No matter how great your accomplishments or how tragic your defeats, approximately 1 billion Chinese don’t know and couldn’t care less.”

From lifevesting.com:

“Stress makes people stupid. Burnout reveals it to the world.”

Three suggestions about how to increase stress, reduce margin, and move towards burnout:

1.) Run on fumes for extended periods of time. Keep saying ‘yes’ to every request, demand, or suggestion that is hurled at you. Skip vacations and days off. Keep going with inadequate sleep. Over commit, believing that somehow, someday your boss and family with notice and reward you. Always be available to offer concern and help, but never place yourself in the position of accepting it.

2.) Continue to spend yourself in ways you aren’t talented or gifted. Keep doing extroverted things with your introverted personality, or vice versa. Neglect what you are passionate about in order to make a living. Never admit your limits or that you suck at some things—keep trying to improve.

3.) Eliminate all margin or gaps from your life. Have two phone numbers, text messaging and email, and keep on top of them all. Keep some sort of noise—TV, music, anything—in the background at all times. Always rush, and always arrive late. Put off everything until you absolutely have to do them.

If you decide to follow these three suggestions, please do the rest of us a favor and pin a note on your shirt where to send the body.