Time is your most valuable resource, so make sure you make the most of it. Write down your goals, be selective with your commitments, and take care of yourself.
Recently lots of people have been demanding my time… For so long I’ve been focusing on productivity and the relentless pursuit of optimising my day. However, this made me sit back and think. Sometimes control and peace comes from subtraction rather than doing more. The opportunity to be hyper focused on a select few goals rather than responding to every request.
I realised I was doing too much and therefore had opportunity to sit back, analyse and refocus.
The first step for me is to prioritize. I’m setting aside time to focus on my top three goals, and creating a plan to help me reach them. I’m also making time for things that bring me joy and excitement, like maintaining my blog, playing piano and making time for myself. The peace, tranquility and isolation of the early mornings is theraputic and something I should prioritise above all. Having some time carved out every morning to attend to my own needs has proven invaluable as the day quickly fills up with work and other commitments.
Maintaining a blog and making a commitment to voicing my opinion online is something that is still very attractive to me. ‘Show your work’ had such a profound effect on my approach to sharing that I continue to maintain this site. Setting the time aside to make sure that this becomes a reality is very important and something I plan to focus on much more over the coming months. Part of managing time is doing things that bring excitement, joy, and feel rewarding. Making time for this is invaluable.
Another key to using time efficiently is to learn how to say no. If someone comes to you with something that doesn’t align with your goals, it’s perfectly ok to say no. Of course, in certain cases you won’t have a choice about your commitments and you do need to juggle multiple tasks. But if you’re consciously aware of what you’re committing to and how much of it contributes to the big picture, you can prioritize accordingly and get the most out of your time.
Finally, practice self-care and listen to your body. It’s important to take a break and re-energize if you want to make the most of your time. This can look different for everyone but the idea is to make sure your mind, body and soul are taken care of. Whether it’s taking a yoga class, going for a walk in nature, or just curling up with a warm cup of tea, carving out a few minutes for yourself can make a world of difference.
These are some quick notes on my experiences this year. Again, it’s pretty raw and imperfect…but that’s how it should be. Have a good week!
T3B
