What Do I Have Room For? | 5 Tips to Create Space in Your Life Today

I once had a Marine pilot tell me that if you don’t regularly make deposits into your life and relationships, when it’s time to make a withdrawal, you could be left with an empty account. From extending general kindness, to pursuing personal passions, to maintaining wellness and health, this Marine had an amazing ability to compartmentalize life and recognize when he was lagging in deposits or drawing too heavily from any given account. 

For example: He was an avid participant in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, but his schedule did not allow him the time he needed to properly prepare for competitions. As a result, when competitions came around, he found himself overdrawing from his “family time” account to make room for more training. His inconsistent workout routine also led to injuries each time he competed. Ultimately, recovering from these competitions began to take too much out of him on a personal, physical, and relational level. After reevaluating the competitive aspect of the Martial Arts Program, he decided it was “a young Marine’s competition” and chose to invest his time elsewhere going forward.

Identifying the Challenge

The real challenge here was not our Marine’s surplus of years—it was his lack of a buffer. If a buffer had been established prior to each competition, he would have had the mental and physical resources he needed to train properly and prevent injuries, without sacrificing quality time with family. 

Our takeaway from this Marine’s story? Making daily deposits into your buffer is of critical importance, as this is the account you’ll draw from whenever challenges arise. If your buffer is full, you’ll be better equipped to face tough times with an open mindset. If you approach a problem with an empty buffer, on the other hand, you just might find that your challenges begin to multiply.  On that note…What is a buffer? We’re so glad you asked!

The Basics of Building a Buffer

You can think of your buffer as the account that holds the tools you need to deal with the stressors of life, from small but significant problems all the way to truly traumatic events. Our goal is to help you identify ways to make regular deposits into this account so that when you face a challenge, whether big or small, your buffer is full and your ability to cope remains high.

Take a few minutes to watch the “Buffer Builder” video below.  When you’re finished, click here for 5 tips that will help you start making deposits into your buffer today!