In A Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness, and Do Your Best Work, Juliet Funt invites us to reconsider how we work in a world that glorifies busyness. As a recognized expert in the field of productivity, Funt, the founder of the WhiteSpace consultancy, shares valuable insights drawn from her extensive experience. She challenges us to embrace the counterintuitive notion of taking regular pauses in our workday. By carving out moments of space for reflection and intentionality, we can unlock our creativity and regain focus. This simple yet powerful practice has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach our work. For followers of Jesus, Funt’s message resonates deeply, as it echoes biblical themes of rest, purpose, and living with intention.
1. The Importance of Pausing for Reflection
Funt teaches us to not be afraid of stops along the way. The flow of creativity and focus comes in these times of stillness. This is what the principle of Sabbath rest teaches us (Exodus 20:8-11). Believers in Jesus can practice this by making a conscious effort to stop and spend time in silence and prayer. These times of pause will help us and God in our work. God is always present and will help us rest and be filled up. Even just a minute to breathe can be our time to connect with God.
2. Conquering the Trap of Busyness
Funt’s point also hits home with me, because, in our modern world, being busy is often a status symbol. While it is good to be productive, too often the wrong things are on our plates. Jesus, however, is the example of one who was not only not busy, but one who “spent His time with full intentionality” (pg 34). Jesus often secluded Himself to pray, even with a full ministry (Mark 1:35). By looking at our days through this lens, Funt’s advice is even more applicable. As followers of Jesus, we can look at our activities for the day and ask ourselves if they line up with our purpose as a Christian. We can clear out the background noise of things that pull our focus and time away from what really matters, and live each day intentionally, purposefully, with our eyes on what matters most – loving, serving and building the kingdom.
3. Focusing on What Matters Most
In the book, Funt makes a compelling case for the power of saying no to the activities that don’t match our objectives. Followers of Jesus are told to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). We should evaluate our use of time and energy against this benchmark. Are we investing enough in relationships, service and spiritual development? When we are diligent about ordering our tasks, we can be confident that our work will bring glory to God.
4. Creating Space for Creativity
Funt suggests that creativity can only happen when we have mental space. As followers of Jesus we know that creativity is a gift from God (Exodus 35:31). By creating space, Jesus followers can activate this gift and create things with His creativity and vision in mind. By creating space to think, pray and meditate we are allowing ourselves to do work that is both inspired and God-filled.
If we implement the above principles we can take back our time, take back our creativity and do our best work for His glory.
