Have Time on your Side
Perhaps you are like me and you are tired of hearing everyone give you advice about time. They just go on and on. Like, hope you can find some time. On the other hand, do not forget to make yourself some time. How about, do not lose any time. Alternatively, do not waste time. In addition, my all time favorite is, be sure to use time wisely. If I hear just one more I am sure, I will lose it!
Now, they may all be sound advice but what I really want to hear just once is, how about some playtime. That kind of time I do deserve.
You and I can actually accomplish a lot more if we just learn to devote time for ourselves. Doing this, though, is not always so easy.
We should all work very hard and when we do, we are bound to struggle through the pressures of life. It just makes sense. You are likely among those who are often found trying to get ahead and meet the demands of your job or family, right? Yet, if we do not stop and give ourselves the attention we need, we will all end up suffering to one degree or another.
Keep in mind that there is no one right way to manage this. Everyone has variable circumstances. We all have some unique problems in doing or achieving this aim. Perhaps the first thing to realize is that you are not managing time to do this. You are managing yourself.
A well-managed individual is well organized.
In order to manage yourself, establish your priorities. I am not talking about those "most important" things to do. It is prioritizing those things that are most important to you at a personal level. In focusing less on the tangible and more on the fulfillment of things you value, you will then achieve a sense of balance. You just need to determine what those activities are.
Take a look at what your leisure desires are. Travel? Reading? Bowling? Dancing? Dining out more? Visiting with family and friends? Deciding what you want to do is the first step to finding the time to do it.
Your priorities can therefore encompass: Friends and family relations, personal enrichment, health and wellness, pursuing personal passions, and working toward long- range goals. Life is more fulfilling when you are doing those things because they bring you joy. You do not need to sacrifice career, family, and well being to achieve balance in your life. You do not even need to change jobs either. Just change yourself. That should be priority number one.
You can create your own brand in lifestyle. It is not something created for you, I know you might think that others control your life, and that you are not in control, but that just is not true. You have many different choices.
Part of the choices that you will make has to do with doing those things that align with your purpose or spirit. You can opt to take any task and turn it into a purposeful one, giving it importance and meaning. If you do it any other way, it is just a chore. The way you view your activities has a great deal of impact on how you approach them.
Time to gain a whole new perspective
Start by looking at how your activities align with your vision and goals. For example, you can view that boring job as the job that provides for your family. Alternatively, you might view the chore of exercise as a way of staying healthy for those who love and rely on you.
Keep the following things in mind when recreating the structure of your life:
Focus on enjoying more activities that are in accord with your purpose. Schedule each of your priorities and say no to things that do not align with you purpose.
When planning your schedule, take note of those activities that get you from where you are now to where you want to be.
The goal is in not making work the center of your universe. Step off the "work
speedway" even temporarily and regain a sense of balance. Separate what is important to you in your personal life. Those are your priorities at this stage.
Try this for one month: Develop a personal agenda that includes "your time" for family, friends, health, and your passions. Allot various times of the day and week for certain activities, and stick to it as best you can manage. If you find that a work activity has to cut into your time, make an adjustment, but do not make this part of your new habit or routine.