It’s your first day back from a short staycation. The “break from routine” you desperately needed, but you can’t get yourself out of bed. Exhausted by the very thought that hitting the cancel button on your phone’s ringing alarm, was like pressing the old routine “play” button.

But it’s not the alarm that woke you.  You were already awake, like every other morning, even during your few days way. Something has to change, but what?

To “rest” is simply not possible. Even if you have nothing “urgent” to do, you feel like you should be doing something. After all, there is so much to do, with ever increasing items on the to do list. 

Does any of the following sound familiar? You have grown more anxious about the future in recent years. You are exhausted before the day is out and your doctor is saying you should watch your stress levels. Dealing with weird skins conditions? You are procrastinating on certain things that are important but not urgent. Your social language is lacking passion for something in the present, with your default topic going to something in the past. Looking through your bank statement, you have increased the amounts spent on impulsive buys. Worst of all your faith is impacted, where you have stopped believing for a certain outcome. These are just some of the signs that you may lack margin in your life.

Margin is having the space to respond to what matter most to you in order to fulfil your life’s purpose.  You may thrive on helping other people, but if you don’t intentionally create margin within your day to do so, being consumed by other things, whilst recognising a need that you want to respond to, will drain you. The same goes for generosity, where unless you structure margin within your budget from which you can be generous, your finances will simply find its way to other impulsive buys, leaving you with feelings of regret.

Margin is therefore not just time or the space on the side of the page. Margin can be applied to our faith, the lack thereof presenting as anxiety, fear and doubt. Margin in our health is intentionally creating space in our day for following a healthy diet and exercise, the fruit of which will be a healthier body and reduced stress.

What areas of your life can you add margin to? How is your career going? Have you intentionally created margin for continuous professional development and for networking?  

Start by recognising the areas that require margin and intentionally add white space to your diary for relationships, study and exercise or maybe your budget, so you can afford to be generous.  The “rest” will follow.