How do you feel about time? Do you feel you make the most of it? Do you waste it? Do you feel like it runs through your hands like slippery little grains of sand you’ll never get back?
Time used to get the best of me, until I discovered a simple system that revolutionized the way I spent, and planned, my days.
I don’t really like to plan much, and I historically have resisted anyone imposing any kind of schedule on my day. That’s part of why I moved a big portion of my life to Mexico: here, I’d finally be able to make each day my own. What heaven! My costs of living would be a lot lower, so I wouldn’t have to spend so much time working just to pay the bills.
The first couple of years, I commuted back and forth between Canada and Mexico. I worked hard as a doctor when I was in Canada, and relaxed and played and danced when I was in Mexico. I’d been burnt out by years of med school, residency, and clinic work, so it was exactly what I needed at the time.
Eventually I felt recharged, and started thinking about my dreams and purpose for my life again. I made goals for my writing, speaking and dance business, and felt excited about the prosperous meaningful future I was sure lay ahead, full of fulfilling action and success.
At first, nothing much happened. Why?
Because I didn’t do much.
I would have all kinds of sincere, passionate goals for my year, month, week and day – but would somehow always manage to get derailed.
Those of you who work 9 to 5 might have dreams and goals beyond your current work, but ask yourselves: How will I ever find the time, energy and motivation to them happen? You might also have goals within your current job, actions that might help you get that promotion or raise, but you feel like you always end up bouncing like a beach ball across your day.
As business philosopher Jim Rohn says: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. It’s annoying, but true.
One day, in an online financial chat group, I came across a system that I thought might work. I use it every day to structure my day, and the results are just phenomenal, across all areas of my life.
On one page of a colourful ring notebook, I write the following sections (leaving about three lines for each):
1) Grow My Business (anything I do to attract new business or make new contacts)
2) Do My Business (tasks related to my businesses to keep things going day-to-day)
3) Personal Development (books, seminars, audio CD’s in my car etc.)
4) Financial (both day-to-day and financial growth)
5) Physical Health & Beauty (diet, exercise, physical self-care)
6) Emotional (pampering, time with friends and my husband)
7) Home Care (taking care of necessary chores to minimize home chaos!)
8) Spiritual (prayer, reading, etc.)
Each day I write the tasks relevant to each section, and having the various sections forces me to balance my day and not leave out what’s most important (I tend to focus on work and nothing else if left to my own devices!). I check each task as I do it, and refer back to the lists over the course of the day. If something needs to be done urgently, I star it, which reminds me to get to it first before doing more “fun” things.
When the tasks of a day or week seem overwhelming, this gives me a feeling of clarity, purpose, and calm. I no longer fear that I’ll waste my day or forget something important – or that life will pass me by as I’m working to meet deadlines and make my dreams happen.
And, I easily get three to four times as much done as I used to. My life is much more successful, and more balanced.
Give it a try, even just for a week. And make your own categories that match your goals, dreams, and daily life.
What starts out looking like an impossible list, will somehow get itself done. There’s magic to planning your day – when you make the effort to respect and plan your time, more time somehow miraculously appears! You’ll get it all done, and then some. And whatever you might have to miss, simply slides over to tomorrow’s list.
Here’s to the Time of Your Life!
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