Single mom Jen recently returned to fulltime work after completing her graduate degree and suddenly found herself timeless. She puzzled over this. Jen's never had an abundance of time, not since she was a child, not since she had her own child. Even when she was juggling a part-time job, evening classes at a local college, and parenting her son, Jen felt she had some room to move...and breath.

Not anymore. Jen mistakenly believed that because she was trading one responsibility for another the results would be equal. She was wrong. What Jen failed to factor in was that all "trade-ins" are not equal in investment, time expenditure, or in emotional and physical outlay.

While it's true the approximate hours Jen spent in class or studying is roughly equivalent to her additional work hours, Jen now travels farther to/from her job; it takes more planning each evening to ready herself and her son for the early morning transition; and she's being challenged more mentally/physically/emotionally at this new position.

Author Dr. Richard Swenson in his book, Margin, would describe Jen's situation (and ours) as a marginless existence. Described this way and completely missing from Jen's life, "Margin is the space between our load and our limits. It is the amount allowed between that which is needed. It is something held in reserve for contingencies or unanticipated situations. Margin is the gap between rest and exhaustion, the space between breathing freely and suffocating."

The prescription according to Dr. Swenson is to increase daily margin into every area of life. This formula is simple. "Power - Load = Margin." This author suggests considering these tips to reducing marginless loads of life:

• Expect the Unexpected
• Learn to Say No
• Turn Off the Television
• Prune the Activity Branches
• Practice Simplicity and Contentment
• Separate Time from Technology
• Short-Term Flurry Versus Long-Term Vision
• Get Less Done But Do the Right Things
• Enjoy Anticipation, Relish the Memories
• Create Buffer Zones
• Plan for Free Time

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