Einstein says time is relative. “An hour can feel like a minute when talking
to a pretty girl, yet a second can feel like an hour if you’re touching a hot
stove.” We all know what it is like to
lose track of time when we are doing something we love to do, or when we’re
engaged in a passionate conversation with someone. I call these, “moments of bliss”, when
clocks seem to tick at a different pace.
But the truth about these moments of bliss is that our everyday life too
often crowds them out. The mountains of
laundry, the getting to work on time, and getting to different appointments
seem to control our day. Even though we all yearn for down time, we all roll
our eyes at the phrase, “I’m busy” because despite good intentions, we are all
aching for some breathing room. We live
in a very fast paced society, yet it seems that the faster we get, the more we
have to do. The “do more in less time”
mentality isn’t proving itself very affectively because the subject of time is
a hot one with my clients. No one seems
to have time for themselves. When it
comes right down to it, that luscious abundance of time we crave reflects a
basic desire: to savor life. We want to
drink in the rich connections we’ve created in our family and friends. We want to do the things we loved doing as a
kid- before we became a slave to our watch.
What we need to understand about time is that finding more
of it isn’t about getting skilled at cramming everything in. Instead it’s more about how much you can
delegate and get off of your plate. For
me, learning how to say the word NO was the most empowering thing I’ve ever
done. “No” for me serves as a time
machine. Have you ever wanted a time machine? Just say no instead. Doing things
purely out of obligation or guilt is time draining. I made a decision a few years ago to only say
yes to things that feel good and productive.
Sure you may offend someone who has been sucking your time away from
you, but when you say “no,” you’ll open up an opportunity for them to replace
you with someone who actually enjoys it and therefore will be more
productive. No one is productive when
they do things they don’t want to do. So
do everyone a favor and just say No.
Simplifying your schedule and claiming your time is a matter
of living in a way that reflects your life’s natural rhythm. Here are some things to consider while taking
back your time.
·
-Don’t multitask. Focus on one thing at a time, giving your
full attention and doing a much better job at it. Keep your to-do lists short. Cut it down to five items a day and start
with the most time sensitive tasks. Once
you’ve gotten through your to-do list, resist the urge to get a head start on
tomorrow and call it a day.
·
-When you’re creating your own time, you will
notice and limit interruptions or distractions.
Many of us will create distractions like too much tv, games, phone
chatting, etc. because we are so burned out we feel the need to zone out. Create specific times to return calls and
e-mails so that they don’t break your focus during the day. Set a specific zone out time, and stop when
it’s time to stop.
·
-Schedule fun time. What is fun you say? It’s doing what you like to do for no reason. It may take you a while to remember what it
was like to do that, but once you allow yourself to have more fun, you’ll realize
what I realized. I know that when I give
myself a good 30mins-hour to just have fun, I return to my life feeling more
energetic and I am WAY more productive.
Having fun is a MUST to reclaiming your time.
For more information on getting clear, visit my
website. www.clarityistheway.com –Crystal Doty
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