Time - it's such an important thing, right? Everyone has the same number of hours in a day and yet, somehow, we never feel like we have enough to fit in everything we want to do. Most of my clients tell me that they wish they had more time -- more time to cook, to exercise, to see friends, to play with their kids, to go on date night with their spouses, to sleep, just -- more time. So, how do you do it? How do those people who "fit it all in" seem to make it all work? Below are my top tips on how to make time feel like it's on your side:
1) Set Goals & Prioritize
I spend a lot of my time with my clients talking about how to prioritize and create schedules and routines. It's hard to fit in everything in 24 hours, but I think when you have specific goals that you are trying to achieve, it becomes easier to prioritize certain things and activities. If, for example, your top goal is to lose a few pounds this month, then you likely want to prioritize grocery shopping, food prepping and exercise. I always try to think of priorities in 3's. That way, I know what top 3 things I want to tackle in a week (along with all the daily routine things that have to get done), and I schedule my time so that I can fit those top 3 in (if not in one day, then at least over the course of a week).
2) Change Your Mindset About Time
This has been the biggest shift for me to make, personally. Prior to this, I always felt stressed about time. I always had a "lacking" mindset about time - thinking that I never had enough. Instead, this shift calls for you to change that mindset to a "plenty" frame of thought. It's the idea that time is on your side - not working against you. It's the idea that time is expansive, and that we have all the time we need in the world to do what we want to do. When I started to think in these terms (literally, repeating out loud to myself "I have enough time...I have enough time" over and over), things in my life began to run more smoothly. I didn't feel rushed or stressed, but instead, I felt more in the flow of things. It didn't mean that all of a sudden I was late to everything like picking up my kids or making it to a class, but instead of trying to squeeze a million tasks into my free time, I started focusing on the task I had at hand and still got to where I needed to be, when I needed to be there.
3) Be more Present
This goes along with the idea of changing your mindset about time. If you believe that time is on your side, it is also easier to be more present in the moment. If you focus on what you are doing, or who you are with in the moment, rather than thinking about the past or the future, time also seems to expand. Being present also helps you to focus on what is being done in the moment, which often helps you get things done well the first time. So, for example, if you are cooking dinner and thinking about the chopping, stirring, etc while it is happening (rather than thinking of everything else on your to-do list), you are less like to burn something or drop something on the floor - saving you time in the long run.
So what do you think? Do you think these tips can help you savor your time? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
If you've enjoyed this post and want some more healthy living tips, check out Payal's free download on 5 Stress Busting Techniques (that take 5 minutes or less) to help you find some sanity amongst the chaos -- click here.