“Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can’t buy more hours. Scientists can’t invent new minutes. And you can’t save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you’ve wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow.”
~ Denis Waitley
Someone recently wrote to me ‘you sure do a lot of cooking, contemplating and enjoying the simple wonders of our world – what a shame that most of us don’t have as much time as you to indulge in “being present”. Any advice for those of us whose jobs take up a large chunk of our lives?’
Truth is, I don’t have any more time than the average person – I have just learned to use it differently. Here is some of what I’ve found gives me more time in my day…
- Start this whole process of making time with some time out. Maybe take a cup of tea into the back yard, or go to a local coffee shop. If you can, take an hour or two, but you might actually need more time than that to reconnect with yourself if your life has been on automatic pilot. Step away from the machine for a moment, and begin to put thought into what’s important to you. Do that every so for the rest of your life.
Image from www.featuringmagazine.com - Prioritise what’s important, and give it time in your life. Just pick a few things, but let those things really matter to you. Writing and meditation are important to me so I fit these into the beginning of my day. How do I do that? I get up at 4am. By sun up I have put time into both of these things that matter to me. I won’t schedule anything before 9. That leaves me time for breakfast with my husband, walks with the dogs, or an early morning surf. Build your day or your week around the most important priorities in your life. When you don’t make time for yourself FIRST, you’ll end up resentful and never getting to the things that matter.
- Stop watching so much television. Television sneakily robs us of time. If you really want to watch something, plan to watch it. Don’t just sit down in front of the box each day, switch it on and wait to be entertained. Same goes for internet surfing and playing games! Set a time limit on it and then walk away.
Image from www.techzb.com - Start your day right. Listening to the radio or watching the news on TV fills your head with lots of stuff that is not necessarily relevant, but that engages your attention elsewhere. It is also often quite depressing. Take control of your morning and put a little effort into starting off well, however that looks for you, focusing on what will give you a positive and productive day.
Image from www.mysuccessprinciples.com - Multi-task. Commute time is a good example of this. Catch up on your reading, or if you’re the driver, listen to talking books or courses that interest you. Wear a wireless headset while you’re on the phone so that you can tidy up a room, fold clothes or do other simple chores while you talk.
Image from www.ngotaxi.org - Simplify food preparation and shopping. Plan your week’s meals in advance and shop to your plan. Batch cook so that you make a double quantity of brownies and freeze some for later. Plan larger meals that make left-overs so you can cut down your cooking time later in the week.
Image from www.minimins.com - Systems are sexy! Don’t double handle things. Answer emails when you open them, deal with mail, paperwork and filing as you get to it, and set aside time each day, or each week for these routine tasks. A place for everything, and everything in it’s place.
Image from www.ehow.com - Turn off technology for a power hour. Get rid of all the distractions like email, facebook, cell phones and internet surfing and use that time to work on what’s important to you.
Image from www.allparenting.com - Learn to say NO. Free up time by letting go of tasks, responsibilities and relationships that drain you and waste your precious time. (ideas on how to do that here)
Image from www.sharpmindmarketing.com - Don’t do everything yourself. Learn to delegate or outsource. Ask for help, or employ help! Have your partner or child chip in, get a cleaner, or accept offers of assistance from friends and relatives. If you have children, see if you can carpool or trade child-minding time so you can get a few hours to yourself. If you’re caring for elderly relatives or other dependents look for respite care and aid agencies to give you a hand.
To get the life we want, we need to actively design it and put effort into it. But it’s worth it – I know because I’ve had a life I hated, and now I have a life I love. And the only thing that changed was the choices I made and the actions I took to make my life more like the one of my dreams. You can do it too! It’s worth it. You’re worth it.
Much love to you, Nicole xx
I love all of the tips you give. There are times responsibilities and obligations seem to suck the priority out of everything else, but fortunately those periods in time are brief. As long as you know how to break away from simply trying to survive and go back to actively living much of what you say makes sense. There was a time not long ago I would have read this and thought, “Boy that sure sounds nice in theory.” Now I read it, and I’m like, “Heck yeah, this is exactly what I am actively learning to do for myself.
Absolutely a wonderful post and great tips; I am so with you; there should always be me time and time for what matters – and I am so with you for big batch cooking and freeze too!;)
Nicole you are so so so right . I ‘m not a good sleeper, however, I have got myself into a pattern , early to bed early to rise and would believe it works . Like you I am up 4.00 – 5.00 . That is the time I get my time …I write , read watch GOOD stuff I’ve taped…and do you know I love it and I never feel guilty and I get lone cuddles with Oscar (dog).
Hope the world takes your advice …cos it’s sooooooo good
Cherry x
My wonderful friend was diagonised with post natal depression yesterday. Not surprised I knew that something was coming. Would love to show her this article, but I know the timing isnt right. Thanks Nicole, great article.
Beautifully written, as always, and I agree whole heartedly!
What you have written Nicole sounds so easy yet people react so defensively. I know, because I too simplified my life and got off the merry-go-round ~ and I’ve never been happier. I have a glorious lifestyle. I have created time for me, time for my husband, time for my children, time for my grandchildren, time for my clients and time for my business. This didn’t just happen. I had to work out what I wanted and I had to plan for it. There was some programming within me that I had to work on, some guilt, some resentment, some conditioning… to allow me to let go of life as I thought I was ‘meant’ to be and be able to embrace a lifestyle that was deemed ‘selfish’ by some.
Is it fear that makes people react like that? Why are we always so scared of change? Are people coming from a place of ‘I have all these balls in the air and if I relax for a minute they will all drop …. and then what will happen? The world will end??’ Maybe the world, as we know it, will end ….but the result could be wonderful, and usually is. But first we must give ourselves permission to do what is best for us ~ and this is the hardest thing.
Definitely, Maiya! So much of our identity can be tied up in “being busy”… being there for everyone else first or doing the (societally endorsed) “responsible thing”.
Congratulations on recognising your unconscious programming and then working through your “stuff” to create your glorious lifestyle! xx
All good words of advice. Thank you, Nicole!
Hey Daisy! Big hugs and love to you. Am still dreaming of NY and pretzel croissants xx
Big hugs to you too, Nicole! NYC and pretzel croissants are here whenever you are ready!
And cronuts. Have you heard of this craze started by famous pastry chef, Dominique Ansel? It’s a DONUT made of CROISSAINTS filled with pastry cream!!!!
You are soooooo bad!!! 😀 xx
Yay for cronuts!
Hee hee!
Cronuts calllllllliiiiiinnnnng youuuuu! 🙂
Ooh the comment/question you recieved was a bit harsh. Taking ownership of our lives is always a good start to time management.
I hope you don’t mean my comment! I wasn’t trying to be harsh at all. I’m the most time-managey person I know, and these are great tips. I looove systems and organization. I just can’t manage to get up quite that early, that’s all. Fortunately I work at home, so I don’t have to at the moment. I tend to stay up late instead, which makes up for it. 🙂
No-one could take your comment as being harsh, Jennifer!!! {{{HUGS}}}
I don’t think it’s harsh – it’s the cry of someone stuck in a life where they don’t have enough time for what matters. We’ve all been there, and it’s not a fun place to be. Sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to make time for ourselves. It’s often not one of our major considerations, mad as that sounds! And yes, we are the Captain of our own ship, so taking ownership of that is always a plan! Much love to you xx
Oooh yeah, I’m all about the systems and the multitasking. No WAY am I getting up at 4 am though. Soooo not a morning person. I don’t schedule waking up before 9. 🙂
Yeah, but I go to bed when you’re probably at your prime! I’m no night owl… 😀 xoxo
Well, given that we’re in different countries, maybe it works out the same! 🙂