| you're going to college, studying and having fun; | | | | you. |
| the next thing you know you're working long | | | | If your life is already full of things to do and you |
| hours, eating on the run, rushing home to take | | | | have no more time to add anything else, which is |
| care of your kids or your spouse/significant other. | | | | the case for most people. What do you do? Well |
| Where does the time go? Managing time means | | | | you definitely don't want to add anything to an |
| more than managing your life against the clock. It | | | | already full plate. You must take some things |
| means taking time to look at the priorities that | | | | away in order to free up time. |
| you say are important to you. How many times | | | | If I examined your life right now, would I be able |
| do you say "I don't have time?" Are you really | | | | to see what's really important to you? Ask |
| saying "that is not my priority" Think about it? We | | | | yourself what's working, what's not working and |
| are always telling others and ourselves "I would if | | | | what could be better. |
| I had the time." | | | | 2. Re-evaluate your priorities using your time the |
| We think we have no choices about how we | | | | way you really want. |
| spend our time. Technology that was supposed to | | | | As a mom, I have an ongoing struggle to get my |
| make life easier has actually done the opposite | | | | children to realize that as they get older I need |
| and is eating away at our personal time. Personal | | | | them to be accountable for the things that are |
| Digital Assistants (PDAs), computers, email, cell | | | | within their capacity to handle, so that I can have |
| phones and pagers all compete for our attention. | | | | more time for what I want to do. I have easily |
| Electronic organizers and communication devices | | | | done this in every other aspect of my life, but |
| create an "on-call" work mentality that takes | | | | this particular area is not so easy. I work |
| priority over personal responsibilities. Lack of time | | | | consistently to get to what I really want in this |
| is more perception than reality. The problem is the | | | | area of my life everyday. |
| lack of commitment to your priorities after | | | | Take an inventory of your life; Are there areas |
| you've set them. People overwork, set time to | | | | of your life that need your attention, energy and |
| watch television and surf the Internet, but many | | | | resources? Look at the people that are in your |
| people don't set time to do the things that they | | | | life and assess why they are there. Do they fuel |
| say are important to them; for example; | | | | you or drain you? |
| exercise, interacting with family or just spending | | | | 3. Make time for yourself. |
| time clearing your mind and doing something you | | | | Make yourself number one as a priority. Spend |
| enjoy. In one of my previous articles, "Wellness | | | | your time and energy on things that bring you |
| After 30: Getting The Most Out of Later Life", I | | | | joy and make decisions based on what you want |
| talked about the importance of taking a closer | | | | instead of what others want. |
| look at how you spend your time on an average | | | | Practice excellent self-care. Focus on yourself in |
| day; writing down your daily activities to find | | | | order to strengthen your balance, well-being and |
| opportunities to include things you might not have | | | | quality of life. |
| known existed. | | | | 4. Set boundaries around your life. |
| In order to free up some of the time you spend | | | | Say "no" with respect when you already have a |
| watching television, you may want to record the | | | | full plate. Don't let your guilt talk you into saying |
| TV shows you enjoy watching, and when you | | | | yes. Explain to others that in order to honor your |
| play them back, fast forward through the | | | | priorities you cannot add anything else right now. |
| commercials. You will gain 12 minutes of personal | | | | You can reschedule or just decide that it does not |
| time for every hour of TV you watch. Don't be | | | | contribute to your overall priorities. |
| forced to follow programming schedules. Watch | | | | Learn your limits. We don't say "no" frequently |
| fewer shows but take the time to enjoy the | | | | enough and we end up paying a price. For |
| ones you do see. Try limiting your time surfing | | | | example, your best friend asks you to go to the |
| the internet to one hour per day. Analyze the | | | | mall today, your son has soccer practice, your |
| total number of hours you are spending at work | | | | daughter has violin lessons and your spouse |
| versus how productive you really are on an | | | | significant other is working late. What do you do? |
| average day. | | | | You can tell your best friend that you have to |
| Time is finite: 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a | | | | reschedule the mall trip for another day in order |
| day and 7 days a week. You can't save it, but | | | | to honor your priorities. |
| you can waste it. The amount of time we have | | | | 5. Time is a gift. |
| does not matter, but rather the way we use it. | | | | If you found out today that you had 30 days left |
| Life can change in an instant so it's important to | | | | to live. What would become important to you? |
| make the most of what we have. Make time for | | | | You shouldn't wait for a message like that to live |
| what's important to you: connecting with others, | | | | your life to the fullest. Spend your precious time |
| working in a career you're passionate about, being | | | | right now being alive and enjoying your life fulfilling |
| proactive about your health by being physically | | | | your purpose on this earth everyday. |
| active. Here are five steps you can take right | | | | Now that you've freed up some time, create an |
| now to get started. | | | | action plan and set goals to achieve what you say |
| 1. Establish priorities that are truly important to | | | | is important to you at this very moment. |