Time off to bond
Adding more to my schedule actually made me less busy
I work for a large corporation with many divisions. It is common to have hundreds of coworkers in the same city and not have any type of relationship with them.
Several of us came together through a company-sponsored leadership organization. Most of us found it a daily challenge to manage all of our responsibilities and still have time to connect with one another on a regular basis, especially since many of us traveled during the week for our jobs. We all expressed a need for more balance in our lives.
We found that we were all in town on most Mondays, so we decided to do something fun together that would also encourage others to participate. We arranged for group golf lessons at a driving range after work each Monday evening. We committed to one another that we would do everything possible to be there for each other every week, which was our first act of love for one another.
This would require me to leave my office at 5pm to get to the driving range and change clothes to be ready to start at 6:30pm. I normally work until 6pm or later, so I knew I would need to be especially productive on Mondays, which is usually my busiest day of the week.
The first Monday I was anxious that I would not be able to leave my office early enough to get to the driving range on time. But I concentrated on staying in the present moment in order to complete each project and respond to every email or inquiry without any distraction. I planned my day based on how much time I would need to accomplish all that I had to do that day. This was an important lesson in avoiding multitasking and staying in the present moment in every conversation, phone call and meeting.
By minimizing time spent multitasking, I was able to give my full attention to each person, task or project and complete everything that needed to be done, without leaving any loose ends or having the need to go back and re-address.
This also helped me to more effectively manage the volume of emails I received, by taking a “one and done” approach. My plan was to read, act and then delete each email immediately. Of course some required a more long-term approach, so I would place the actions required in my outlook calendar. I also began to budget and plan my time more effectively.
Soon I found that Mondays were my most productive and peaceful day of the week, so I focused more on being in the present moment the other days of the week. I also found that I was able to love Jesus in my coworkers in a more deliberate way.
The golf lessons were great fun, and soon we were golfing together on the weekends when our schedule allowed. We continued for a number of months into the fall, when the early darkness and cold temperatures became an obstacle.
Over the course of this time our group became quite close. As our bond continued to grow, we began to feel comfortable talking with one another about our faith lives and our daily challenges and joys in loving Jesus in our neighbors.
We all found that having a core group of coworkers with whom we could share our faith life made our jobs and our relationships more meaningful.
As Christmas drew close, one of the women in our group invited us to attend a Friday evening Christmas service at her church. She was initially apprehensive about asking everyone to go, but we all knew that asking us was her act of love for us. And going with her was our act of love for one another.
D. S., Texas
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