Six Secrets to Tame your Time: Secret #2

(2-minute read time) 

Last week I asked you to consider your thoughts about time.  The answers you came up with are truly critical – so, if you haven’t completed it, go back now.  

This week, I have a new question for you.  A simple, but not easy, question.  

Who do you want to be?

Few of us would answer this question by saying “Overwhelmed, stressed, busy, exhausted” yet that’s our reality. 

We are so busy IN our lives, we do not take time to take a step back and work ON our lives.  You may have no idea how to step back and look at it with a fresh perspective.  It’s ok, I’ve got you covered.  This is what Secret #2 is all about.    

Ask yourself, “Who do I want to be?” or “Who do I want to work towards becoming”.  Take some time to marinate on this a bit and truly consider all possibilities. 

Who do you want to be? A loving parent?  A successful leader?  An amazing spouse?  A millionaire?  

Maybe you want to be physically fit?  A published author?  A community leader?  A world traveler one day?     

Let your mind peruse all the possibilities and write them down.  Notice the word “all”.  I mean ALL.  Observe the answers your brain gives you – and DO NOT allow it to talk you out of anything, yet.  If you think it, it goes on the list.  Deal?  

When that’s done, you’ll probably have to practice the skill of constraint.  It just isn’t likely that you will write a book, get your Ph.D., raise your children, start a non-profit, plan a trip to Australia, grow your side-hustle, be president of the PTO, improve your marriage and learn how to make a killer gluten-free lemon meringue pie all while slaying it at your full-time job right?  

Ask yourself which of the things you listed above are MOST meaningful and important to you.  Avoid the trap of picking things based on how easy or hard you think they may be.  Make how meaningful they are to you the most important factor that decides whether they get to stay on the list.    

I suggest choosing just one or two (three if you must) to begin.  Focus on those first.  Be realistic, be kind, pare down if you need to – it’s ok.  I promise you will get more done when you exercise constraint.  Committing to everything is simply unrealistic.  

A laser beam puts off much smaller light than a light bulb, yet it can travel much farther distance with a higher concentration of energy.   Be like a laser.  Be focused.  You can always add more later.  

This work requires us to dive in and ask ourselves some tough questions.  Sometimes, that can be tough to do alone.  Need a hand?  I can definitely help, just click here to chat.