Are you getting the most out of your time, spending it on the things that matter most to you, or does it feel like time is just passing you by?
It is essential to be aware of what it is that matters most to you and to be intentional on how you use your time. Is it work, your family, your health, and/or having a positive impact in your community that drives you? All these facets demand our time and can provide value, so how do we go about choosing what to do? I’ll suggest thinking about all the things you desire or wish to achieve, is a great place to start to help avoid getting pulled into activities that provide little value but can consume so much of our day. We also need to be mindful as it’s easy to get caught up focusing on one aspect, say your work, while creating an imbalance towards another, say your family or health. If this imbalance persists for an extended period of time it can lead to unhealthy conditions impacting your performance in all facets. There’s definitely going to be peaks and valleys with regards to how we need to focus our time. For example, we may need to spend more time at work during a new product launch or promotional campaign, or on health when training for an event, but if we are mindful of minimum and maximum thresholds or performance boundaries across all aspects that we shouldn’t compromise, we can avoid irreparable deterioration in any individual aspect. From a long term-perspective, this approach can allow us to make strides forward in all aspects of our life.
Some suggestions to help keep our focus where it matters most include:
Practicing Mindfulness: Take control over our time and our ability to manage it, creating healthy routines that will support both our physical and mental health. This includes recognizing when we become distracted, or find ourselves sucked into an infinity loop activity that provides little to no value. There’s a difference between watching the occasional movie on Netflix or watching it while combining it with a jog on the treadmill vs binge watching a whole season or 2 of a Netflix TV series. The latter can eat up a whole lot of time with little added benefit. Staying aware of and building healthy habits including nutrition, exercise, sleep, hydration and meditation can all improve our energy level and presence to perform where it counts.
Approaching Life with a Favorable & Proactive Outlook: Focusing on what is within our control and taking the actions necessary to optimize the use of the available time we have provides greater value and is more productive than worrying about what is going wrong or things we have little control over. We often get what we focus on so it’s best to focus on what you want, take the next step necessary and work towards making it happen.
Having a Plan and Monitoring Performance: Identify the key activities you want to accomplish each day and schedule your time accordingly to make it happen. A few minutes planning can save hours of time spent on things that really didn’t deserve your attention. Taking the time to reflect on how you did at the end of the day is also helpful. Being mindful of the things that pulled you away or distracted you, while recognizing the accomplishments you were able to achieve can help you adjust accordingly and build the momentum needed for continuous improvement.
It’s time to take control and invest your time where it counts rather than spend it frivolously!