“Don’t squander time for that is the stuff that life is made of.”
Benjamin Franklin
Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock! Goes the damn clock! It’s amazing how fast this year has zoomed by. Like most people I feel that time is quickly getting away from me and have the image of an alarm clock that’s getting ready to go off any minute now, currently stuck in my head. I can’t get over the fact that we are already halfway through the year; it seems like we just ushered in the New Year.
Since becoming a mother, I have quickly discovered that I no longer “technically” have 24 hours to my day as majority of my time is now dedicated to my son and meeting his needs, as it should be. I often find myself having a great deal to attend to, leaving me with very little time for myself and to devote to some of my goals and pursuits. I must confess that I am guilty of putting things on the back burner at times with the hope that I’ll revisit them at a more opportune time to only have other things “crop up” and “steal” more of my time.
I’ll be the first to admit that although I possess great time management skills and can get a great deal accomplished in a short period of time, I don’t always use my time wisely and at times allow things that don’t add value to my life to take up time that could have easily been directed towards more important things—such as my goals and dreams, to distract me. In spite of how much I find myself having to do, it never ceases to amaze me that time continues to lapse and doesn’t stop for even a brief second to allow me to catch up or make up for time I believe to have lost.
Majority of us spend more than a 1/3 of our day commuting to and from work and at our jobs, 1/3 or less, sleeping and the remaining hours—running errands, spending time with family, catching up with friends, preparing meals, attending to household obligations, prepping for the following day and so on. Although we are constantly in motion and in the act of doing, few of us ever invest quality time in the things that would most benefit us.
Today’s fast-paced and jam-packed life has accustomed us to operate on autopilot and adapt monotonous day-to-day routines that often interfere with our ability to connect with ourselves and determine whether our current lives reflect what we once envisioned for ourselves, and if we are truly doing what we were created to do.
Life can become overwhelming and escape us if we aren’t careful and don’t take the time to discover our purpose and pursue the things that align with it. As long as we are consumed with just getting through each day and the drudgery it brings with it, we will come up short after it’s all said and done, and discover that we gave our most valuable commodity, time, to things that didn’t really fulfill us, while overlooking those that might have made a difference in our lives.
They say that time wasted can never be recovered. For us to truly live fulfilling lives that reflect our dreams and desires, and allow us to feel content; we need to invest our time wisely and in the things that will allow us to flourish, become, do and have all that we envision for ourselves, and that allow us to create a legacy that we will be proud to leave behind
The following are things that we can easily start doing today to help us better use and manage our time and become more conscious about it:
- Keep first things first by being clear about your priorities and attending to matters based on their significance and the degree of urgency and attention they deserve;
- Take an honest inventory of your average day to determine how you spend your time and identify any existing loopholes in your schedule, i.e., habits and activities that you regularly indulge and engage in that rob you of precious time that you can invest in and direct towards the pursuit of your goals and dreams—either curtail these habits and activities or limit your involvement in them;
- Think ahead – Map out your days and prepare for future events in advance, this will allow you to use your time efficiently and get things done and meet deadlines in a timely fashion;
- Maintain a schedule that allows you to structure and manage your time and clearly outlines the tasks and actions that you need to focus on to ensure you direct your attention and focus where they need to go, and helps you stay accountable of your time and on track; and
- Pay attention to your Body Clock – Determine the time of day when your mind is most alert and receptive and when you feel most energized and engaged, and choose to attend to priorities and perform your most important tasks and obligations then to ensure optimal performance and allow yourself to pack more into each day.
Always bear in mind that Life isn’t a dress rehearsal; we only get one shot at it and therefore need to make it count by making the best of our time. fff