Do you catch yourself making the statement that there are not enough hours in the day to do everything you feel you need to get done? If you feel that way, it is a good indicator that you could reprioritize your tasks and to do lists. If you don’t have enough time in each day, then there is a good chance you are not scheduling things you enjoy each day as well. It is very easy to get caught up in our busy schedules and lifestyles. I have done it several times in my life as well. Periodically I still have to reprioritize my schedule to find the balance.
Life can march by us so quickly, and if we do not create the time for ourselves and hobbies, they tend to get put on the back burner and never make it onto our regular schedule. I’ve not only seen it happen to many people, but I too have fought this battle with time. Many times we have said yes to more things than we can realistically handle with a sense of peace and happiness. Sometimes our situations change and we have to take on more responsibilities at work or our in our home life. When these things happen, it is a good time to relook and decide what you can continue doing and what you may have to let go. It doesn’t mean that you can’t try it again once things settle back down, or that you have to stick with an activity that isn’t working for you.
In this day and age, people tend to take on more than they can handle. We women are especially prone to this problem, and I’m speaking from personal experience. But that thinking can come with a high price. Is the reputation for your brain/ego more important than being happy?
I’ve come to learn over time, we can do many things well and still have time to do things we enjoy. Now I said we can do many things well, but not all. If you are not balancing some of your activities and responsibilities out, you end up spending more energy trying to keep up with them rather than doing them well. And why take on things if you can’t do them well or happily?
It takes a little listening to the soul to see what you can do within your lifestyle and they do need to come with some limits. Set time limits that you will allow for each task on your schedule. Often when we don’t, we bite off more than we can chew. And there are just simply going to be times that you have to let go of things you may not want to. If it is important to you, you can let one good thing go for the importance of another. For example if you are wanting to start your dream career on the side, you may have to let go of a meeting or outing you frequent to free up your time for the top priorities. I often hear clients talk about how they don’t have any time for themselves. Well, I’m going to tell you something harsh, only you can do something about it.
The boundaries you set forth in your life have to come from you. You have the ability and option to choose how you spend your time and where it goes. It may take some baby steps at first until you get more used to it, but only you have the power to make things better. You may need to give yourself permission to say no and decline a few activities. You can politely say you can’t fit it in your schedule without explaining or defending your time and personal reasons.
I feel the more we do this for ourselves, the more we empower each other to balance our lives along with giving time to our family and friends. Many refer to this process as time management, but too many of us do not manage the time well for ourselves. If you do not make the time for the things you enjoy, they do not have the power to make it to the forefront of what you want to do. So I encourage you to take a close look at your days and how they are flowing. Let go of the things that aren’t serving you well and reprioritize in the things you want to do more of. If I can balance as many things I do, so can you. I don’t get to do everything I want each day, but I do mix them up to where I can do most of them each week. A happier you, gets things done better and those around you will notice the difference. Do it not only for yourself, but also for those you love.
Reprioritizing is a gift to you and those around you. When you can look at it as a privilege it can make the transitions you need to make for yourself smoother. And it is a bit of trial and error to find a balance that works for you. Just remember that your schedule is just as important as everyone else’s….. and so is your happiness!