Over the weekend, I had a conversation with a friend about time and Runes. When she arrived at my house, I was just putting away my Runes. She was curious about them and how I found time to do anything besides the big three - working, taking care of the kids, and cleaning the house.
To that end, I posed this question to the Runes for her: How can we best manage our time?
The response from the Runes was more than I had anticipated. It focused on the true intent of the question which, on a basal level, was how can we spend time doing things we enjoy without feeling stressed, like we should be working or cleaning or doing something else?
The Runes pointed out that time is a special gift, showing us Gebo, the gift Rune. Gebo does not mean only a physical gift, rather the act of giving. With respect to our question, Gebo refers to both, because time is a precious gift and, when we give it, whatever or whomever we give it to is receiving that important aspect of us. This begs the question, who or what appreciates my time? Following on that, if I am giving my time to someone or something that doesn't appreciate it, why am I doing it? The second question matters not necessarily because our time has to be appreciated directly when we give it, but more so that we understand why we give it to that person or thing. For example, we may not feel appreciated at work, but we work so that we can provide financially for our families. So, when considering how you manage your time, consider why you're doing what you're doing and how is it appreciated.
The second Rune is the hail Rune, Hagalaz. Hagalaz reminds us that, no matter how much planning and effort we put into managing our time, it will not always be smooth sailing. Things will happen that will disrupt our schedule. When something interrupts our schedule, it can have the frustrating effects of throwing us off our mark. That is the first part of hail; it damages things. However, if, instead of fighting the disruption, we accept it and are open to the fact that we may be a little behind in other things for a while, we find that we are less stressed about the storm and more able to get back in the swing of things once it passes. This is the second part of Hagalaz, because while hail causes damage initially, it is also a source of moisture. Applying that idea to today's world, we can use interruptions as opportunities to look at how we use our time. this relates to one of the biggest problems I find my coaching clients dealing with. They are simply trying to do too much at once. Hagalaz simply breaks down that precarious situation and says, "Reassess what you're doing," to which I would add... and the time frame in which you're trying to accomplish it.
What is the point of recognizing that time is a precious gift and that no matter how well we try to plan the ways we use/spend it something will go awry? Othala, the Rune of the homestead and inheritance holds the answer to that aspect of this situation. Simply put, do you live to work or work to live? This is where priorities come into play. Everyone has different priorities and sees different benefits in the same situation. What is important to remember is that everything has good and bad components, trade offs if you will. If you work 60-80 hours a week, you aren't at home as often as you might like to be, but maybe working that extra time allows for very special family vacations. Neither is right, nether is wrong, but only you can decide which is the best way to spend your time.
After my friend and I did this draw and I interpreted what I believed the Runes were telling us, she said it made sense, but she didn't feel like the Runes were really giving her any details. I smiled and reiterated that the Runes were telling her that her time is a precious gift and that when her time gets disrupted, it is an opportunity to evaluate how you spend your time. More over, only she could determine how to use it or where to spend it, but that what was important in determining how to spend her time was figuring out where her priorities lie. She already knew her personal details; she just needs to sort them out.
In honor of her question, later today, I will be creating my own weekly schedule to help me make the most of my time. How about you? What do you use to manage your time?
*This post was written with the permission of the friend to whom I refer. I never use any Rune readings without consent of the person for whom the reading is undertaken.
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