120: The Stress You Feel Could be a Margin Issue

Do you ever think about margin?

Not the space between a book's sentences and the edge of the page (though that space is where insights and ideas live if you like to mark up your books like I do).

For our purposes here, I'm talking about the space between the present moment in your life and what's pressing and/or next on your short or long-term agenda.

Depending on the era you're in - career, side-hustle, heck...even retirement - margin is still an issue.

Let's think about your margins and what you do when they're narrowed.

Margin, especially relative to your available time and energy, is important because without healthy margins (and I'm speaking for myself) it's easy to get cranky, edgy, or downright hard to live with.

Regardless of what aging era you're in it's essential to protect your margin or your growth and longevity will be at risk

I've been in a season lately where my margins have been pushed to their limits.

Writing projects at the edge of completion, being needed and feeling the need to "fix" circumstances, goal achievement...it's a perfect storm of margin drain.

And as I age, the more protective I become of my margin.

I long for more margin to read, relax, re-engage with family and friends, and renew my energy for a few goals I've had in a holding pattern.

What I need, and what I suspect you need when thinking about margin, is to identify, protect, and expand it.

Identify your margin

Self awareness is key here because it's easy to rock along and not pay attention to life taking a piece of you here and there.

Margin gives you breathing room.

But that's not all - margin also gives you an opportunity to fill the space with new ideas, interests, and intellectual pursuits.

Without margin you're like a leaf blowing in the wind carried wherever the next task, person, or circumstance beckons.

Identifying and claiming your margin enables you to stay on the growing edge instead of the reactive edge in your life.

Protect your margin

Again self awareness serves you here.

It's essential to know when your margins are being threatened.

I can feel it when my margin is at risk.

I'm more edgy, reactive, frustrated, and overwhelmed.

Those are signs I need to huddle up, slow my pace, and guard my margins, knowing that if I don't I'll lose hope and fall into unhealthy patterns of non-productivity.

Monitor your mood.

Be mindful about what's currently triggering your emotions.

An open assault on your margin could be the cause.

Expand your margin

Margin expanse is akin to stockpiling your reserves - emotional reserves, creative reserves, and relational reserves.

Expanded margins are good for your relationships, your health and wellness, and your longevity.

Expanded margins also expand your longevity factors such as your capacity to deal with emotional and physical setbacks.

Increased margin gives you more blank-page creative space - time to think, reflect, and reward those around you with your undivided attention.

Any overwhelm you feel as you age could be a margin issue - start there and identify, protect, and expand your margin

Press on...

Eddie