The "Bento Box" Preaching Prep Approach (or how I learned to embrace an ideal schedule)
Photo by Christopher Rusev on Unsplash
Bento boxes. You know what those are?
A bento box is a container for a single-portion meal.
Common in Japanese culture, the box can be made of lacquered wood, metal, or plastic. The top of the box lifts off, while the bottom contains several walls to separate food items.
One compartment may contain rice, another fish, another vegetables, etc.
The box itself, as well as the delicious food inside, is often a visual work of art.
And while each food item is separate from the others, all are selected to bring the flavors into a cohesive, stomach-filling—and heart-warming—meal.
I’ve been trying to apply the bento box as a metaphor for my schedule.
“Life is What Happens to You When You’re Busy Making Other Plans”
Ordinarily I chafe against the limits a schedule dictates.
I feel emotionally claustrophobic when I look at square spaces like one often sees inside a bento box or calendar. Squares are far too rigid, confining, and “perfect” with their straight lines and 90-degree angles.
Plus, schedules are boring because they’re predictable: I can “see” my future months in advance.
Schedules overwhelm me because I can see all the stuff I have to do and there’s no room for spontaneity.
And finally, schedules feel unrealistic.
Real life is rarely considerate of my plans.
All in all, I’d rather do things when I feel like it, not when “told” to do it by my schedule.
The Challenge of “When I Feel Like It”
I like to take care of tasks when I feel so moved, which applies equally to both desired and undesired tasks.
If it’s undesired, I may put it off for a while, but eventually a certain energy wells up to tell me this is the time to get the task checked off my list.
Eventually everything gets done.
Paradoxically, however, I find all that “freedom” stressful. And Stress is actually more limiting.
The haphazard nature of jumping from one thing to the next makes it hard to focus.
Making decisions about “what’s next” drains my energy.
Ultimately, I’m less productive and have less time for everything.
The Benefits of the Bento Box
What I discover over and over again is that thinking of my schedule as a “bento box” decreases stress because the decisions about what to do next are pretty much already made.
Instead of feeling emotionally claustrophobic, my schedule actually feels kind of safe. Kind of cozy, like when things fit juuuuust right.
Most of all, thinking of my schedule like a bento box helps me visualize whether something will fit.
Is a task the right shape? Is it the right size?
In other words, does a task align with my competence, energy, and interest? Can I be counted on to deliver what is expected?
Will I find it mind-filling and heart-warming?
Will it fill me up, or leave me feeling uncomfortably overstuffed, like I ate too much?
If I want to say yes but my box is already full, I can see that saying yes to something new means something has to be removed first.
Knowing what to work on on what day and at what time makes me more intentional, efficient, and effective.
Creating an Ideal Schedule
As we begin another program year, it’s a perfect time to consider and plan your Ideal Schedule.
My Ideal Schedule includes all seven days but yours might include only your work days.
The important thing is to plan the days you have to make decisions about what to do next.
My Ideal Schedule includes:
standing appointments for sermon prep, like Lectio on Mondays, and our live sermon prep workshops for The Collective/+ on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
“no interruption zones” for sermon prep and other deep thinking tasks when my notifications are turned off and I might leave my office to feel like I’m “off-planet” for a little while so I can think.
prep time for upcoming meetings, preferred appointment times, and time to read and pray to make sure I get fed
buffer zones with nothing scheduled. These are for the times when life laughs at my schedule so I have some leeway.
set times to handle life—like meal planning, shopping, and cooking (I cook on the weekend for the week ahead)
bed- and wake-times that are the same all seven days for a consistent sleep schedule
exercise and prayer so the tyranny of the urgent doesn’t pull me from caring for myself
The Result?
Instead of feeling chafed or closed in, my Ideal Schedule helps me feel more relaxed and expansive.
I can breathe more deeply and easily.
With fewer decisions to make, I always know what to do next.
Though each item on the schedule is separate, they blend together in my mission to serve preachers.
My ideal schedule integrates commitments, humility in the face of limits, and belief in the sacredness of myself.
Does it work perfectly?
Ha! Of course not!
But even when things go awry, here’s what my Ideal Schedule accomplishes:
It lets me get my rhythm back quickly because I know what works best. For example, when I’m away from my routine when traveling or over the holidays, I waste no time picking back up because it’s all laid out. And because it’s ideal, I know this is what works best for me.
Because I have buffer zones built in to the week, it’s far less stressful when life sends a surprise.
I don’t feel guilty when I have to say no to a request. When I say no, it isn’t personal. It’s just math. Time is just a math equation. (With sixty minutes in an hour, if one task takes all sixty of those minutes, but someone wants something that will add thirty more, I can’t stuff ninety minutes inside one hour. Math!)
It’s makes me feel good about just being a human being who doesn’t feel guilty about not trying to stuff ninety minutes into an hour. Maybe God can do that somewhere in the space-time continuum, but that isn’t my question to answer, it’s God’s.
Who knew humility could feel so good?
What About You? Do You Need A Bento Box, Ideal Schedule?
Would you benefit from your own “bento box” calendar? If so, here’s one way to get started.
Pull out a blank, seven-day calendar and a pencil. Pencil in:
bed- and wake-up times
Sabbath day
prayer, exercise, and creative pursuits that make you feel human
meals, meal prep, shopping, and household chores
Sunday worship
fixed, weekly appointments
Zones:
“no interruption zones” for sermon prep and deep thinking
buffer zones, two or three a week of an hour or more
meeting zones during which you schedule most meetings
pastoral care for parish and hospital calls
email and communications
Granted, there will be meetings and tasks that occur less than weekly, but add those when you plan your weekly calendar.
I’ve learned that many preachers thrive when they bring intention and discernment to their week.
With the number of important roles we play—from preaching to pastoring—this type of approach prioritizes healthy boundaries, models healthy boundaries for your congregation, and helps us be fully present to our calling and home life.
In other words: balance.