Time seems to be one of those precious commodities that we never seem to have enough of… We make comments like “there aren’t enough hours in the day” or “I just don’t have the time”. The reality is that we have to make time for the things that are important to us.
We can spend a lot of our time doing things we think we ought to do, rather than things we want to do. We attend events, or help run errands that our heart really isn’t into. If we aren’t careful, we can become so consumed with not appearing to be mean, or selfish, we commit our time without stopping to think about what it is we truly want to be doing!
There seems to be something about growing up. Our perception of time seems to speed up at an incredible rate with each passing year! This should give us a new respect for time. Our time is precious, so we should not spend it doing anything we can’t commit to fully. When our heart isn’t into it, it’s reflected in the performance of the task! We also need to realize that time is one of the most important things that we can give to others. When we think about loved ones who have passed away, we don’t remember the gifts they gave us over the years, we remember all of the amazing time we spent together.
Time is one of those things that once it’s spent, there’s not getting it back. When we understand this fully, we are more mindful about how we spend our time. Are we using our time in a way that makes us feel good about ourselves and what we’ve accomplished, or are we just going through the motions. It can be easy to just go through the motions, but we’ll get much more satisfaction and fulfillment when we use our time wisely and on purpose.
In order to use our time effectively, we must be clear about our priorities. The things that are most important to us should get our attention on a daily basis. When we’re clear on our priorities, we can establish boundaries, which help us to manage our time better. Clarity of our priorities makes it easier to say no to things that aren’t aligned with your priorities without any guilt. This allows us to use our time more freely, feeling less overwhelmed and more fulfilled.
Our time is precious and the reality is that the time we spend doing things that we don’t really want to do isn’t time well spent. It is time wasted, when we could be doing things that bring joy to ourselves and others, rather than creating resentments over time that we can never get back. We have to find the courage to honour ourselves and others by being authentic about our feelings and not spending even more time worrying about what anyone else thinks about it.
Focus on what you want, commit to making it happen and establish your priorities to ensure you stay on track! As the Steve Jobs quote says: “Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”