“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” J.R.R. Tolkien boiled Life down to this simple statement. It is bold and raw and really inspires one think about the choices we make and how we choose to spend the time allotted to us in this Earthly ride.
To use your time consciously and with awareness, is to live a conscious life.
Below are some tips to help you make the most of your time, in a way that leaves you feeling satisfied, accomplished, and at peace.
1. Get clear on your priorities. We are working with a fixed number of hours per day/week, and don’t have time to spend on things that are not important to us.
2. Make a short list each day of what you want to have accomplished by the time you come back to bed. No more than 5 items please, to support your mental health and boost your chance of success. It might be tempting to add more and more items, but keeping the list concise increases your chance of accomplishment and reduces feelings of overwhelm.
3. Use the timer on your phone to keep productivity high. **This is important!** Setting a timer does more than keep us from losing track of time. It enables us to fully focus on the task at hand. This is key! Without it, we begin working on something, and soon our mind starts to wander - How long have I been at this? Did I take the chicken out of the freezer? Oh shoot, I forgot to run by the pharmacy earlier, and so on. Our focus and productivity suffer when we are not ‘all in.’ The timer enables us to have laser focus on our work and enjoy the efficiency and productivity that result!
4. Make time for body, mind and spirit each day. Often in our zest to get so much done, we neglect our whole selves. We are not just doing machines. We need time to decompress, to breathe, relax, and recharge; not to mention do the things that bring us joy! The morning is a great time to connect to our inner guidance and wisdom, reading or listening to teachings that inspire us, to spend a few moments in stillness, and also to connect to our bodies and move in ways that feel good to us. Taking time to acknowledge and honor all aspects of ourselves sets the stage for a calm, productive day.
5. Allot unstructured time for silliness! Your inner 5 year old is chomping at the bit to take over and have some fun. Is it playing a game on your phone? Just sitting and enjoying the warm fall sun? Watching a great series on TV? Starting a DIY project? Remember, the point of this Life is not to get stuff done, but to enjoy Life. Definitely leave space for that, if not each day, then for sure during the week.
6. Forgive ourselves. There will be times when despite all our best efforts, time does not flow in the way we design. Life happens, we get distracted, things come up. It’s okay. That’s a sure sign you are human. When that happens, skip the step of berating yourself, and just get right back to it.
If you have found these tips to be helpful, please leave a comment below or share with a friend.
And if you would like some support around time management or if there is another topic on your heart and mind, reach out to schedule a coaching session here. I would be honored to work with you.