Time Is More Than Money - It’s Your Life!

Yeesh! It’s 8 p.m. and you’re still in front of your computer answering emails…again. It seems as though every day is spent digging out of an avalanche of email, phone messages and urgent requests that don’t leave any time for you-know-who (hint: YOU!) or the priorities that really matter. By the time Friday rolls around, it’s easy to feel your week went careening out of control like some movie-of-the-week car chase.

Do me a favour. Take a moment right now to do a little activity with me. Take out a piece of paper and write down four statements that describe how you feel or think about time. For example you might say, “Time flies,” or “There is never enough time.” Write your statements down now.

Next, read over what you have written. In each statement, replace the word “time” with the word “life.” The examples above become “Life flies,” and “There is never enough life.”

Wow! Point taken. How you spend your time is how you spend your life. If you don’t like the sound of your revised statements, it is time to recreate the relationship you have with time.

The solution isn’t in another day-planner system or another priority checklist. Until you change your relationship to time, your life will continue to speed away from you—at enormous cost to your health and to the detriment of yourself and the world around you.

Gaining control over your time is nothing short of gaining control of your life. The good news is you do have a choice. From CEO to business owner to file clerk, reclaiming control over your time is a powerful act of self-mastery.

To help refill your time reservoir, try some or all of the following suggestions.

Pause. Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Han suggests a deep breath before answering the phone. Stacey Mayo of the Center for Balanced Living recommends doing a one-minute meditation every hour throughout your day.

Remember the airplane instructions. Put your own “oxygen mask” on first. To take care of others, you must care for yourself first. Put your needs at the top of your priority list.

Carve out idle time alone. Greek philosopher Aristotle noted that “nature requires us not only to be able to work well but also to idle well.” Recognize and honour your body and mind’s need for rest. If you find it difficult to do “nothing,” consider it a necessary skill and work on strengthening it.

Schedule time every week that excludes interruptions. Turn off your cell phone and your desk phone. Grant yourself uninterrupted time to focus your energy and attention.

Toss your schedule whenever you can. If that is too daunting at first, schedule spontaneous time and then surprise yourself. To keep your creativity and joy revved up, include times when you improvise and act impulsively.

Examine why you are busy. What emotions would you experience if you weren’t so busy? Are you running from your heart? Many people use busyness as a way to sidestep the real challenges of life or to avoid taking responsibility for their own happiness. If you examine their comments, what they are really saying is, “Oh, I couldn’t possible improve my life, I am far too busy.”

Play. Sing, wrestle, paint, hike—whatever. It helps you step outside of ordinary time. Play and fun bring balance to your life. They give you a reason to commit to personal time in your schedule.

Create time retreats. At least once a year, choose to do something for a week that allows you to just “be.” Reserve this time for recharging your internal batteries, not for catching up on chores.

Spend time in nature. You can’t help but slow down in nature’s unhurried pace. Watching a soaring bird or examining a flower can seem to stretch a minute into an hour. Soak up the pure, life-affirming energy that nature has to offer.

You can learn to experience time more purposefully and meaningfully—so that it’s not an enemy robbing you of the joy of life. You needn’t be at time’s mercy. When you change your awareness, you can actually experience the gifts of time. The choice is yours.

I invite you to share your thoughts and perspective on the article. To join the discussion, comment on this blog!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Sheila Betker is founder of Freedom to Dream, a company dedicated to connecting women with their true life’s purpose and helping them build the life of their dreams. To sign up for a free 10-part ecourse entitled, Living Your Dream Life: Step By Step Guide to Living Your Life on Purpose, visit: http://freedom-to-dream.com