Ok, let’s start with the facts:
- We only have so much time in our days.
- We only have ONE trip around this planet.
- Time is the ONLY constant.
Time is one of the biggest things we struggle with. Many of us feel the pull to say yes to every single invite we receive. A lot of us don’t know what our priorities are. And most of us don’t plan everything. . .heck, don’t plan anything!
Before the COVID pandemic, I always felt like we were rushing form one thing to the next. Like we were always so busy. During the pandemic, I heard Dave Hollis say “Figure out what is worth rushing back to.” It made me realize that all the rushing around we were doing before might not have been the best decision. Hearing that statement made me want to really look at how I was spending my time and what my heart was being called to do. How does that statement resonate with you? Think about it. . .
Then think about how you manage your time. If you don’t have a clue how you manage your time at all, I’ve got a four tips to help you get there.
- Analyze your time. – Take a really good look at how you’re spending your time. What activities are you doing daily? What about weekly? Are you spending your time wisely? Wisely, meaning you’re doing things that make your heart sing, move you forward and bring you closer to your dreams.
- Prioritize your time. – Once you analyze your time, see if you’re spending it exactly how you need to be. Think about your goals and how you want to live your life. No, you don’t have to be perfect but make sure you’re putting the actions that move you forward, first.
- Decide how you want to spend your time. – Now that you’ve taken a hard look at your time and determined what your priorities are, it’s time to make some decisions. Determine where you want to focus your efforts and then segment your time into categories. Things like work, relationships and fun.
- Get a planner. – Whether you use electronic or paper, write out your schedule. This will allow you to clearly see what’s on your plate for each day, each week, each month and what’s ahead in the year. Once you get in the habit of writing things down, audit yourself. Whether you do it monthly or yearly, review how you spent your time. Take a look at the meetings you had, the events you attended, the things that moved you forward and the things that you did for fun. Decide what went well, what could have gone better, what you don’t ever want to do again and what made you feel alive.
Do you see how these tips move in a cycle? They’ll help you develop habits that allow you to use your time the way YOU decide. And they’ll help you get better year after year.