3 Tips to Maximize the Moment

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the airlines changed the way they did everything. Flying has never been the same since. Security, regulations, reservations, organization, and whether or not people could walk you to your gate - it seemed every element of flying was impacted. And yet, in the midst of all the change, the airlines were able to fulfill their essential function. They never lost their ability to help people travel from place to place. 

In 2001, airports had to determine its essential function in order to maximize the moment. They had to name the most important thing and reorient everything else to protect that. 

And that is the essence of what it means to maximize the moment. J.R.R. Tokien writes, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

Here’s my point! 

We have a worthy Lord to live for and we only have one soul to steward in this life. And if we want to be good stewards of the life and resources God has given us, we must infuse intentionality into our lives. We need to act with intention and maximize the moment. 

Today I want to give you three quick tips that can help you maximize the moment in your life right now. 

Tip #1: EMBRACE THE RHYTHMS OF LIFE

In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon writes, 

There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; 3 a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; 5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; 6 a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; 7 a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak; 8 a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

We can see just in this one passage that the way God views time is different than the way many of us leverage it. When we think about maximizing our days, we have to move beyond fighting for perfect balance. Balance is just a myth. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is a time for everything under heaven. As the author is going through the different variations of polarizing activities he isn't calling us to try to perform each one equally, at all times of the year. He is intentionally highlighting the seasonal nature of life which means there will be seasons where we are doing more of one thing and less of another.

Think about it this way. What if I were to take all the clothes in my wardrobe and focus on making sure that I was giving each piece of clothing equal wearing opportunity and I was insistent on wearing every article of clothing in every season of the year. 

…"you’re not worried about balance. You prioritize the season.”

You'd be like, that's crazy! Because why in the world would you be going out in 20 degree weather with shorts on? And why in the world would you wear a hoodie in the dead heat of Atlanta summers? When you approach your closet - you’re not worried about balance. You prioritize the season.

And that's the principle we want to fight for in our lives. Our lives actually have rhythms. Our lives actually have seasons and so one thing we really advocate for is dividing your year up into four distinct 90 day periods and planning intentionally for each one. Doing this allows you to name the season you’re in, identify the priorities of that season, and then prioritize around those priorities. 

When we let go of the myth of balance and embrace the seasons of life, we can better discern the appropriate activities that will help us maximize the moment we are in.

Tip #2: PRIORITIZE RELATIONSHIPS IN EVERY SEASON

Again let’s see what Solomon says. In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 he writes, 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 

When it comes to learning, most people learn better by experience but they also learn better in the context of community. We are created for relationships. So if we are approaching productivity from a biblical perspective, we cannot neglect the priority of relationships in each and every season. 

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Christianity isn’t a religion, it’s a relationship.” Well at Blueprint church, we say:

“Christianity isn’t a religion, it's not even about a relationship, but it’s about relationships! Three distinct relationships - Our relationship with God, our relationship with other believers, and relationship with our neighbors."

“Christianity isn’t a religion… but it’s about relationships!”

When we are working to maximize the moment, we must always do it with relationships in focus. If we try to have productivity without relationships we will just be workhorses who get stuff done but who will eventually lose themselves in the process and become disconnected from what matters most. When you embrace the seasonal rhythms of life, you quickly realize that the way you prioritize your relationships will change. And that’s good! But no matter the season, never remove the priority and need for cultivating relationships. 

Tip #3: FRAME EACH SEASON WITH UTILIZING THE MYBLVD ROADMAP

Over the years we have helped people to maximize the moments by utilizing a simple four step roadmap.

The four parts of the roadmap are: Clarity, Movement, Alignment, and Focus.

In Clarity our main focus is clarifying the win. You need to know exactly what your priorities and goals are.

Next is Movement. In Movement our main goal is to identify easy, obvious, and strategic steps that will help you accomplish your goal. 

The third step is Alignment. This step is about making sure that every part of what we are doing is aligned toward the same goal and that everyone involved is running the same play. 

Finally, the last step is Focus. This step is all about making sure we are saying no to good things so that we can yes to the better things. 

These three tips will foundationally help you view your time differently while holding onto what matters most. And if you want to take a deep dive into what this could practically look like for you, then I am excited to introduce you to the Maximize the Moment Masterclass where we will give you a thorough, practical, customizable, guided framework for taking these principles and actually integrating them into your life.  

If you want to act with intention and maximize the moment God has given you - this course is for you! Want to take a deeper dive? Join the City Syllabus to get free access to the community and the full Maximize the Moment Course