Update: 60-60 Experiment

When you start a new job the first thing that is given to you is a BIG BOX. In the box there are new responsibilities, huge learning curves with development and testing environments, quick tutorials on product knowledge, trying to demonstrate ability, and simply the role of trying to be a Rock Star (Guitar Hero not included).
Its funny how you pray and pray for something that you want badly….God grants it to you (because he wants to give you the desires of your heart)….and then, all of the sudden God becomes second place to the thing you desired most. Okay, so that’s not really funny…but it’s true.

I was gung-ho about my 60-60 experiment and my walk with God had been going perfect. Things were happening and I could feel His presence all around me. When I started my new job, all of the sudden I was overwhelmed with a new schedule. My new job was further south and that meant a longer drive in terrible traffic. To avoid the traffic, I needed to leave my house earlier…which meant I needed to wake up much earlier to be out of the house in time to beat traffic. Eric started his new job a week after I did and he has to travel even further and through more traffic. So in an effort to help him, I volunteered to take the kids ‘to and from’ school by myself (we used to carpool and so it was a joint effort). This meant I needed to wake up even earlier to get them ready and out the door. Normally, I will wake up between 5:30 AM – 6:00 AM. I used to wake up between 7:00 AM – 8:30AM. (You are probably wondering, “Is it worth it?” and I have to answer “absolutely!!” See the New Job blog...coming soon).

So these first 4 weeks of driving, I was so focused on finding the best route to and from work…and dealing with the traffic and these terrible Austin drivers. There aren’t very many alternate routes to my work and it seems like everyone else is going in the same direction. So needless to say, I wasn’t focused much on talking to God during this 45 minute drive.

My new work environment is very open and everyone can hear a pin drop on the carpet. Of course when there are seven different conversations going on, it can get loud and hectic…but most of the time people are at their desks working hard and completely focused. Therefore, I decided to spare them of my annoying timer that beeped every hour. First off, I didn’t want to look like a freak that had some problem and needed to take meds every hour. Secondly, I just felt uncomfortable having to explain my story about my timer with people I hardly knew. So I ditched the timer and decided to put sticky notes on my monitors that said “RE: 60-60.”

As the days went by and my workload increased, my eyes were focused on the monitors in front of me and often passed up the sticky notes stuck to the bottom of them. Meetings, lunches, and conversations among the group also distracted me from focusing on talking to God. The day would fly by and I wouldn’t even say one word to God. All he wanted was a “thanks” or “thanks for this great job.” Nope, I didn’t even think twice…I just kept working like a busy bee…trying to make a good impression right?

At the end of the day, it was the same old routine…drive through traffic and pick the kids up from daycare, make dinner, get the kids ready for bed, clean, possibly get their stuff ready for the next day, and then “PLOP!!!” fall down face first into the couch. Start to watch one of my weekly shows and fall asleep before the opening credits. Yes, it was that exhausting…MY FAVORITE SHOWS being passed up for a little shut-eye. Never thought it would happen, but I would pass out about 9am and start the day back up again. Every once in a while, I would stop and think “Wow. I haven’t said one word to God today!” That would be the time I would stop and just talk to him.

Same with church….I slacked on attendance over the last few weeks. My mom came to visit over Halloween weekend, the next weekend my friend Brooke from Chicago came out, and last weekend we were totally ready to get back in the groove…and then Eric threw his back out. He was throwing LT up in the air over and over and finally hurt himself. She had a blast…he is still out for the count.

So that is how it was the first few weeks…since then I have recognized my lack of awareness and have been feeling bad about the whole thing. I have worked out a decent schedule in the morning, find time to talk to him on my drive into/from work, and talk to him throughout the day. I wouldn’t say that I am doing it every hour on the hour, but I am definitely more aware. I should write a program that pops up a reminder screen! That would be perfect. I haven’t been keeping up with the book, but I want to try and start reading it again…maybe during lunch or a workout.