There Just Aren't Enough Hours in the Day!
by Kathryn Watson
The last time I checked everyone had the same number of hours in the
day, 24 to be exact. So why is it that some people seem to get so much
more accomplished and have plenty of time for their family and to do
the things they love? Are they just better time managers?
The truth is that it isn't about managing your time at all. It’s
about managing your energy. The following five steps will help you on
your way to reclaiming the life you want with plenty of time for everything.
1. Know what you want
What do you value in life? Who do you value in life? If you found out
that you only had a short time to live how would you want to spend it
and with who? A lot of my clients tell me that family is top on their
list but when we look at their day planner or PDA I rarely see family
mentioned or any time left over for them. You have to make time for
the people and things that are important to you. Go ahead and schedule
them in just as you would an important client and remember, you would
not cancel an appointment with your most important client would you?
2. Set your intention
By setting the intention to make more time for your family, the gym,
playing soccer or whatever is important you will help your mind to stay
focused on what you want. I suggest that you write your intention down
and/or say your intention out loud first thing in the morning. When
you start the day with intention and focus it will begin to seem as
if you had extra hours in the day. By staying focused on your intention
throughout the day you will be less likely to get sidetracked; spending
lots of time doing those things that ultimately will lead us away from
those we love.
3. Let your right brain come out to play!
Most adults have forgotten how to play. Chances are that you may find
it a useless activity that you just don’t have time for. Think
again! Have you ever been frantically trying to find a solution to a
problem only to have the obvious answer appear after a good night's
sleep. Wonder why you didn’t think of that before?
During the day you probably tried to tackle the problem head on from
an analytical or left brain point of view. When you drifted off to sleep
your brain waves slowed down moving you into your intuitive and creative,
right brain way of thinking. It was in this state that your brain was
able to finally let go of the end result and thus find a perfectly logical
solution you simply had not thought of before.
Do you have to go to sleep to solve problems? Not hardly. You can move
your mind into a more relaxed right brain pattern with meditation, breathing
techniques, visualization and sometimes by forgetting about the worries
of the day with play! Run, not to exercise but just for the delight
of it. Blow bubbles, play with your dog or a child, fly a kite, now
when was the last time you did that?
4. Just say no
Say no to the things you do not want. My good friend Pamela Grant says
“That just doesn’t work for me”, when someone asks
her to do something she doesn’t want to do. I have adopted this
statement and I suggest that you do also. You cannot possibly do everything
for everybody and trying to will eventually make you irritable. Go back
to #1 and remember who and what you value. Make sure those are taken
care of first before you say yes!
5. Notice the gifts of time
Clients often come to me telling me that they don’t have the time
to relax. The truth is time is all around them, they simply fail to
notice. Instead of huffing at the elevator for taking so long use this
gift of time to slow your breathing down, offer kind words to the person
standing next to you, or maybe even visualize a pleasant scene. The
next time you are caught in a traffic jam give gratitude for the quiet
time alone you have just been given. When your computer is down or you
have to wait in line these are examples of gifts of time. You asked
for time and here it is. The only difference is it didn’t come
packaged as you imagined. Enjoy your time!
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Download your free e-book, “Release Stress Now!” from Life and Relaxation Coach Kathryn Watson. http://www.relaxforsuccess.com/freebook Kathryn has been teaching clients to develop a relaxed state of awareness for over 15 years. It is from this state that you are able to stay focused on your goals and priorities in life. Her “Take Five Minutes to Relax” is a popular program for both corporations and individuals.