Do you ever feel like you need to get more done in less time? Or that you would like to have a lot less stress? (Especially during the frantic holiday season) Or that you just need to make more money? You may be one of the many who are simply overextended. However, what do you do? When you have allowed the margin in your life to disappear, there is only one solution; you have to rebuild it.

Most of the time when we need to rebuild margin we take gargantuan steps and the pendulum swings to far to the other in the opposite direction. So, here are a few practical steps you can take to make sure you have and retain margin in every area of your life.

1. Get Focused

Margin requires focus. Get and stay focused on doing the few things you are great at rather than trying to do everything. You will have a greater impact in life by doing this and you will have a greater margin than if you are doing things that you are not skilled or equipped to do.

• Here are a couple of questions to help with this process, ask: Where is the critical need? What can I stop doing?

There is one very dangerous thing that will make you push back on taking action when it comes to your focus: pride. We all want to be needed, even in areas that are not our strength. However, do not let pride get in the way; it is keeping you from living out your full potential. It takes both humility and courage to make the decision and apply it.

2. Play To Your Strengths And Delegate Your Weaknesses

Trying to turn a weakness into strength can often be a waste of time. Think of the retired professional baseball pitcher Randy Johnson. He threw a 100 mph fastball. His lifetime batting average was 127 yet he personally struck out 4,875 times while at bat. Nevertheless, who cares? He could throw a 100 mph fastball. How foolish it would have been for him to focus on hitting rather than pitching. He helped his teams become world champions by playing to his strength as a pitcher and allowing his teammates who were strong hitters to focus on batting.

The same is true for you in some capacity. You will have more time, you will be more fulfilled, make more money when you play to your strengths and delegate your weaknesses. Spiritually speaking you are lining yourself up to live life as the masterpiece God created you to be.

Do less and accomplish more. It is a win for you and for those around you. It is also a win for the one who created you and planned you with a purpose and potential.

• When you are working in your strength, you will get more done in less time – that’s time margin.
• When you are working in your strength, you will get more done with less stress – that’s emotional margin.
• When you are making a difference in your company, you will be reward financially – that’s financial margin.
• When you are happy and successful in your career you like who you are – that’s moral margin.

You were created to have margin. While we tend to push the limits and live without margin, we cannot sustain a margin-less lifestyle, in any area of our lives.

(For more on margin check out chapter 3 of my book Life Palette)