Finding time for what matters most always boils down to our time choices. We have the same 24-hours every single day of our lives … and what we do with those hours defines who we are, as well as going a long way to determine the quality of our lives.
The good news is that time management tips can provide you with empowering insights to energize and enrich your time choices. If you’d like to make your wisest time choices, then my #1 time tip is to invest time up front by giving yourself time to reflect. I like to call them Reflection Points – these powerful gifts to yourself.
When you schedule your first Reflection Point, you might start by thinking broadly about which of your time choices truly advance your goals or fulfill your needs. And right along with that, you can begin to identify which time choices are due for an overhaul.
It’s important to not be judgmental as you reflect. If you’re looking at your choices with a critical eye, you won’t get the full range of information about what you choose and why. In fact, if you approach this self-critically, you simply won’t want to do it. So be open and non-judgmental. This is about time choices and making the ones that work best for the unique person that is you!
But what exactly is a reflection point? Simply, it's a moment in your day, or week, or month, when you pause and reflect on how things are going. It’s a time when you might consider asking yourself questions like the following:
1. What are the goals I am making progress on?
2. What do I want to enlarge on or follow up on?
3. What relationships need tending?
4. What are the accomplishments I’d like to celebrate?
It’s important to make your reflection points work for you. So, rather than treating them as one more activity to squeeze into a busy day, try envisioning them as large and comfortable spaces that have room to warmly hold all aspects of your life. This allows you to have a relaxed, inclusive and self-nurturing perspective while you sort through your priorities. You will be amazed at how these pauses can transform your relationship with time. Even after just a few moments of this kind of reflection, you return to your day refreshed, with energies realigned.
Here are some more things to consider, as you build and experience your own reflection points:
Uniquely Yours: This is your process and no one else’s. As you reflect, you can:
• Focus on one thing or several.
• Work with a journal or list.
• Schedule reflection points weekly, monthly, or several times a day.
It's entirely up to you. The most important thing to keep in mind is that this is your opportunity to decide for yourself how to make your life work better for you. You needn't explain yourself to anyone. Your job is to clarify what matters to you. In fact, your points of reflection can inspire you to reclaim personal power that you may have allowed others to control.
Fine-Tune Timing: As noted above, the timing is up to you. How often you schedule points of reflection may depend on your level of satisfaction with your life. Times of transition or of stress may require more frequent retuning, as you work with time challenges or familiarize yourself with a new landscape.
Conducive Climate: I strongly encourage you to set aside undisturbed time on a regular basis. It doesn’t have to be long, especially at the start. As you grow into the habit, you’ll find it so refreshing and helpful, that you may need to limit your reflection point time! You can prepare your environment so that it is especially conducive for relaxing and looking within. Have touchstones nearby that inspire you, and a notepad for recording fresh ideas.
Don’t fall into the trap of rationalizing that you don’t have time to do this. Remember that your time is precious, unrepeatable, and finite. So the best way to refine your time choices is by building regular "reflection points" into the rhythm of your life. There is no greater gift you can give yourself than living in a way that is congruent with your deepest values.
So, how can you start clarifying your priorities today to start finding more time?
Here’s one idea for taking your next step. Sign up for our free gift, "The New Finding Time Boundary Template: 9 Simple, Sequential Steps to Find More Time and Recharge Your Energy!" at http://optimize.thetimefinder.com/templatesg/
This time template will help you move beyond overwhelm, disappointment, and frustration. Using a workbook format, with room to record your answers, you will discover that 24 hours really are enough!
Offered by Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert.
Paula Eder, PhD, the SelfGrowth.com Official Guide to Time Management, is an internationally-known coach and published author who mentors spirit-driven solopreneurs and small business owners to align their core values and energy with their time choices and behaviors so that they can make more money, create more freedom, and find more time.
Living on a working farm in rural New Hampshire, Paula's connection with time is as organic, spiritual, and down-to-earth practical as the vitality and resiliency of the seasons. From her base in New Hampshire she has maintained a thriving coaching practice for the past 35 years; is a Certified Coach in Kendall Summerhawk's Money Breakthrough Method™ Program; and is a certified graduate of the Vanguard class of the Authentic Happiness Coaching Program conducted by Martin E. P. Seligman, PhD and Ben Dean, PhD.
Her Heart-Based Time Management System helps busy people just like you develop the skills to make authentic time choices that lead to work success, personal growth, vibrant health, and an ever-deepening relationship with yourself and those you love.
To learn more about Paula's unique, Heart-Based Time Management System and begin your transformational journey, sign up for her Finding Time Success Kit. Discover how you can find time for what matters most.
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