You’ve probably heard about how miners used to bring caged canaries with them deep into mine shafts. If any harmful gases emerged, the canaries would die, giving the miners sign of trouble while they still had time to get out.
Having easily observable indicators of coming trouble is really helpful, not just in mines, but in all areas of life. As we go about our days, weeks and months it’s easy to get lost in the details and fail to see trouble brewing until it hits us hard and has significant consequences. If you can identify a few leading indicators or “canaries” that you can easily keep an eye on though, you can get an early warning of coming challenges in time to make adjustments and avoid more dire consequences.
As an example, I have three key canaries I watch to make sure my schedule is in healthy balance:
- Do I have time to go for a 20 min walk everyday for prayer and reflection?
- Do I have time to exercise or work outside every other day?
- Can our family take a sabbath, a day without work focused on relationships and rejuvenation, every week?
If I struggle in any of these areas, I know my schedule needs attention. I’m either over-committed, prioritizing poorly, procrastinating or similar. It’s extraordinarily easy for me to use these three canaries, all specific and measurable, to keeps tabs on whether my schedule is in healthy balance.
Next step: Consider taking a few minutes to identify 1-3 canaries in each area of your life – e.g. finances, key relationships, schedule, etc. Try keeping an eye on the canaries for 30 days to see if focusing on a handful of indicators makes it easier to make course corrections and stay on track.
3 Comments
I like this approach, calling it a canary. I have these triggers myself, very similar to your list, and each time my life has gotten out of balance it’s almost assuredly one of the things I can’t do without.
Thanks for posting!
Great post, Levi. Very practical and good topic to think about.
I love this – advice that is quickly applicable. Thanks!