Stop saying you’re too busy for all the
things the important things!
What if before you even begin reading this, you think to yourself, but I am too busy, I truly am too busy! Well, I believe you! Most of us are leading very active, and busy lives. I don’t dismiss that lightly. I know it is true. That is why we all need 12 Tips To Finding Time for The Important Things!
Whether you live in a busy city surrounded by people rushing around you or run a farm in the middle of nowhere, it is true; we are all just way too busy. Perhaps you are happily single and working on your career or the head of a family of 8: yes, you are also extremely busy.
Most households now have at least two adults working full-time, some even having to work 60 plus hours a week to make ends meet. So it makes sense that most of us are either burnt out or too tired to take the time we need on things that matter. Finding time for things like self-care, keeping up with friendships, or simply spending quality time with those we care about regularly is important.
Doing all The Things
My family is a prime example of an active family. I work 70 hours most weeks, and my husband works 50 hours a week with an additional 20 hours per week commuting. We have a teenager, a dog, work full-time and run a small business. Unfortunately, being an adult comes with certain obligations and responsibilities that we may not always want to perform but are necessary. Responsibilities like work, chores, errands, paying bills, buying groceries, preparing meals, being a chauffeur to our children, pets, ageing parents, and of course, health issues. I am sure that you agree that all of these are crucial and need our daily attention. But what about us?
Sounds pretty dreary right? It can be if you let the busyness of daily life take over. We have all tried to convince ourselves that this is just a part of life. But, life should also be about finding joy, laughter, creating memories, learning about ourselves, the world around us, and giving back and just plain ole relaxing. So, if we are always busy doing all the things we need to do, and not enough of what we would like to do, what does our life look like then?
Ask Yourself This
When was the last time you were able to play as an adult? Reading a book, exercising, writing, being creative, and working on a hobby are things we should all have time for. Sadly, many of us don’t. What if we could make time for some of those things and bring back some of that calmness and joy and still get everything done that we need to get done? You may be thinking, I don’t even have the time to sit down and figure out how to make more time because I am too busy; how am I ever going to find the time to sit down and sort it all out?
Let me ask you this, how much do you miss doing the things that you enjoy? How much do you wish that you could somehow miraculously find some stolen moments in your day? Moments that are beautifully yours to do what you want to with them, we all deserve that. What if I told you that you could find moments, in your hectic day, where you have no one counting on you, relying on you, and you can choose to spend it any way you want? Sounds impossible, right? I thought so too. Read more to discover some tips for finding time for the things you find important.
Let’s start by asking ourselves
three simple questions.
- Do you feel overwhelmed and exhausted?
- Are you standing in your way of making better decisions?
- Are you unhappy are you with your current situation when it comes to your time?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you are in the majority of people and are ready to try some new things.
Here are 12 tips for finding a few stolen moments or even hours in your day for what really matters to You.
The truth is we are 100 percent in charge of how we spend our time. Therefore, we are as busy as we choose to be. Only we have the power to decide how we spend our time. You may argue that you don’t have any extra time in the day at all. Let’s look at some ways inwhich you can gain more time to do the things you love.
1. Stop saying yes to things that don’t matter to you.
We are all guilty of wanting to help everyone with everything. Although it is kind and helpful to assist others, we need to learn how to set boundaries so that we don’t experience burnout with helping others all the time either. It is common to feel guilty when we can’t help everyone do everything. It is OK to say no sometimes. The number of times we agree to help someone does not equal how much we care about them. However, occasionally turning things down can say volumes about how we take care ourselves. This is a skill that is important for us to learn and practice.
2. Plan your grocery shop every two weeks instead of weekly.
Making this simple adjustment can carve 1-2 hours of free time weekly for you. That is enough time perhaps to join an aquafit class or a cooking class or go into your car and go for a relaxing drive?
3. Schedule non-negotiable time into your calendar like you would a meeting or an appointment.
Write it in pen, and be sure to follow through. There will always be things that come up that need your attention. If you’ve written it in the calendar, then it is not a suggestion. You need to think of it as an appointment with a friend that you wouldn’t cancel and make the other people in your life aware that you are unavailable during that time slot.
4. Learn to be in the present moment.
When we learn to be in the present moment, we become more aware of how we choose to spend our time. Sixty minutes of distracted and interrupted time can be frustrating and not very productive or helpful in creating a relaxing atmosphere. Instead, aim for 20 minutes of uninterrupted time and see if that is attainable. Small steps lead to huge gains.
5. Delegate.
In a household of 5, most of the duties land on one or two people in the home when it can all be split up more evenly in most cases. A family that works together has time to play together. A family that plays together also understands the importance of self-care and solo activities. If the other members in your family are too young for certain chores, be sure to show them how they can help with age appropriate tasks for example putting away their things or helping to prepare food.
6. Make the most of your commute.
Whether in the car, on the train or on a bus, technology today makes it easy to get things done on the go. Listen to audiobooks, podcasts, inspirational messages during your commute to work. Depending on what you’re listening to, this can start your day off in a positive way!
7. Choose Your Outfits Ahead Of Time.
Preparing your outfits for the week ahead of time can save you 15 minutes that perhaps will allow you for a 15-minute meditation instead.
8. Prepare dinner as a family.
Get everyone involved, especially on those busy days where dinnertime may be the only family time you get, even if it is just a soup and a sandwich.
9. Plan ahead.
Prepare healthy snacks for the week and pre-package them all at once so that they are ready to grab and go on the run.
Cook bigger meals to ensure leftovers which can save you at least 2 – 4 hours a week of preparing food.
10. Turn off the television.
Replace endless t.v watching with something you will surely enjoy more.
Have a discussion with others in your household about how precious time is. Ask what their thoughts are about how the family unit is spending their time. Perhaps they have ideas and suggestions that you haven’t thought of yet.
11. Avoid being late.
Being chronically late is a HUGE time waster not to mention stress and anxiety builder. It often takes more of your time when you are late as now you need to find a way to make up for the time you have lost which we all know is impossible. Being late just leaves you exhausted, frazzled and anxious, so let’s just skip that all together. Plus, learning to be on time is important for so many other reasons too.
12. Put down the phone.
The biggest time-waster of all, the almighty smartphone. I think we are all guilty of being glued to our phones at one time or another. How much time would you say you spend on your electronic devices? How much of that time is an actual conversation versus useless scrolling? That is what I thought.
Make a Commitment
Commit to the changes you have decided to try. Use the time you have saved, no matter how small, and make sure to do something that involves taking care of yourself. It is OK to enjoy a bubble bath or a short meditation, learn a new hobby or language, do a workout, or have a coffee with a friend without feeling guilty.
Some of us spend an average of 4 hours on our devices every single weekday and more on the weekends! That’s 28 hours a week! That is a total of 1,456 hours a year. Let’s break that down. Make a list of everything you would do if you had 4 hours a day to spend on whatever you wanted. What would you do with all that time? Sleep more, get in better shape, write a book, learn a new language, create a passion project?
Pay Attention To Things That Matter and are Most Important To You
We should never be too busy to pay attention to the things that matter and find the beauty in the silence or perhaps walk in the rain.
You will feel better for taking the time just for yourself. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but it will also be contagious. You may even find other family members and friends join in on their quest for more self-care.
After all, you can’t take care of others until you have given yourself kindness, love, and time. We all need a reset. Like anything else, set a habit and claim more time for yourself. You will be grateful you did because there will never be a time where nothing is waiting for your attention. There will never be the perfect time to relax and give back to yourself. Claim it for yourself. Create the space you need, choose how you spend your time.
Time is priceless. You will never get it back. Time is the most valuable thing we have aside from life. How will you choose to spend your time?
What other things have you tried to get your time back?
Please email me your suggestions or leave a comment below to share what has worked for you!