Meaningful Monday-Having Too Much Time and Not Enough To Do

A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life.
~Charles Darwin

 

Time management is NOT my forte. Don’t get me wrong, I do get things done but not before I’ve taken a few turns here and there. I can walk a straight line but it may take me some time to get from point A to B as I’m sure there will be lots of stuff crossing my path and sparking my interest. We all know how precious time is and how each day greets us with certain challenges whether it’s the challenge of deciding what to wear, what to do first or if you should to go to work or call in sick for the day. Many argue that they have so many things to do and never enough time to do it.

 

But have you ever felt that you have too much time and not enough things to do?

 

With an empty nest the first few weeks I found myself wondering the same. What am I going to do to fill the void of not having my daughters under the same roof driving me nuts? After the sudden shock of having two University students had worn off, I regrouped my thoughts and began to appreciate my freedom. I’ve always done my best to fill every waking moment of my life doing something, working, reading, writing, personal development and in between I fulfilling my obligations to family but when the family got smaller there were pockets of time needing to be filled. No, I’m not ‘Super Woman’ but life does become easier when you become ritualistic in your approach. If you do the same thing in the same order each day by focusing and consistently on any given task or tasks your mind runs almost automatically.

 

If time management is something that has always evaded you, take baby steps in your approach to creating daily rituals for yourself.

 

1. Take 20: Before checking your email take 20 minutes doing something to achieve your goals, divide your day into time slots plotting out what you wish to accomplish in that day. If you get sidetracked like I sometimes do, refocus and get back on track.

 

2. Turn it off: It’s You vs The media, so filter the information you’re receiving by turning the television off. The great thing about the internet is that it allows you to control what you want to see instead of being constantly bombarded by the daily news. Filter the information you receive by signing up for more informative, practical and constructive information.

 

3. Appreciate Your Free Time: Don’t allow unnecessary stress to ruin your time by allowing it to be eaten up by anything that’s not useful to your well being-work, people, daydreaming can eat up chunks of your down time without you even realising it. Responding to one email leads to another and another. The same goes for the latest gossip, every story leads to another story and before you know it the day is gone leaving you wondering….”where did the time go.”  Well, it went out the window on the wings of the last syllable of the latest gossip!

 

4. Create an appetite for learning: Whether it’s knitting, cooking or learning a new profession personal development should NOT be removed from your daily ritual. Personal growth is a part of evolving, immerse yourself in something new, doctors have hobbies and an insatiable appetite for learning, not because their profession demands it but because it keeps the mind sharp.  Remember the 1-hour rule .

Use your time in ways that are beneficial to you as an individual an.

 

 

~Happy Monday

© Etta D. Richards

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