FINDING TIME.
It's not about the clock, it's about speaking and living your truth.
You’ve heard it before: “We all have the same 24 hours in every day.” But I get it, it doesn’t always feel that way! Some days, I could swear the clock started at 7 AM, skipped straight through noon and everything in between... then it's 9 PM and it’s bedtime and I didn’t touch anything on my MUST DO list that I wrote at 7 AM!
How on earth am I supposed to get to the things I want to do for fun or my health or even the little extras, if I can’t even get through the things I have to do?
I wish I had a simple answer to this one, or a funny anecdote to pass on. Quite frankly, I don’t. The answer is complex, and very individual. And it will definitely require you to make some choices. But I can promise you this: once you do, you really will feel like you have more time!
So, how do I find THE timE?
The first step to unpacking this riddle is to identify what those things really are. You really have to be super honest with yourself. Let’s use "I’d like to have time to go to the gym" as an example:
Be specific, and state your goal as if you are already doing it.
Instead, try: “I go to the gym to exercise 3 times a week because it makes me feel great.” I did a few things there. I stated a specific goal, I stated that I do it (not a vague "want to" do it), and I also said what I get out of it – which is that I feel great. This can work with anything you want to accomplish.
Want more time for friends? “I have a monthly girls night in/out with my besties. I feel centered and relaxed when I’ve taken some time to focus on them.” Maybe you’d like to try that hot new workout. “I’m taking that _____ class Tuesday at noon. It fits into my lunch break and I will go back to work feeling energized and ready to conquer the afternoon.”
You are making promises to yourself, and you cannot break them.
When you make a promise to yourself, you will also have to decide what is most important to you. If you create too many goals or plans, you can literally run out of time (We all have the same 24 hours in a day, right?).
If something is important to you, you WILL make time. If it is not, you will make the excuse.
This isn’t a bad thing, it’s an honest truth. And you should examine each choice you make using that honest truth. Maybe a friend you love asks you to join her to watch a ballet you know you hate. You may want to say yes to your friend; after all, you love her! That instinct may lead you to say, “I just don’t have time.” The reality is, you really don’t want to make the time. You’d rather do 100 other things first.
Be honest! You don’t have to be rude to your friend, but she will appreciate an answer like, “Gee, as much as I’d love to spend the time in your company, I think the beauty of that ballet will be lost on me. Perhaps such-and-such would enjoy it more?”
Be honest to yourself and the people you care about.
Don’t let yourself make excuses, especially to other people. They will hear the truth, even if you don’t, and you could be seen as disingenuous. If you want to be your best you (and isn’t that what we all want?!), find more ways to be honest and truthful and you will be seen as your best, authentic self to the world. And p.s., you'll have more time to do the things you love.