“I don’t have enough time” is one of the most common reasons that people give when asked why they don’t pursue their passions, engage in self-care practices, and have fun in their life.
Here are a few key points to remember:
- You already have all of the time there is. Get clear on how you’re using the time you do have.
- Nobody has more time than you. What are they doing, and not doing, to be more productive than you?
- The key is to create time for what matters most to you. As Stephen Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, writes, “you never have enough time for everything, but you always have enough time for the most important things.”
How do you create time? Let me show you.
Take out your calendar and your planner. If you don’t use these tools of creation, that’s your problem. Not using these tools is leaving your days susceptible to randomness and other people’s agendas.
As I just said, your calendar and planner are tools of creation for you to use to create the life you desire.
Step One: Take everything off of your calendar and make it blank. If you use an online calendar then simply make a new calendar. If you use a paper calendar then you can draw a new one for this exercise.
Step Two: If you set your own business hours than skip ahead to step three. If you have a job with set business hours, then input your set work hours into your calendar.
Step Three: Put your self-care activities on your calendar. These activities include, but aren’t limited to, exercise, yoga, stretching, massage, meditation/prayer, wake times and sleep times, time with family, classes you’re taking such as dance, cooking, etc.
Step Four: Next plan what I call ‘white space’ every day. This time period can be anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour or more, and it is a time for you to do nothing. You heard me right…nothing. Simply be with yourself. This is your time for creativity to emerge. Whether you decide to walk in nature, sit in your favorite place, or go for a drive, just be with yourself and allow new and fresh ideas and perspectives to come in. It’s often said that people have their best ideas in the shower, and that’s for this very reason. They allow themselves to ‘turn off’ and relax into the moment. This quiets the noise and mental-chatter that’s been preventing them from hearing the solution. This is where the saying ‘slow down to speed up’ comes from. ‘White space’ is priceless. Use it.
Step Five: Prioritize your tasks based on the impact they will have when they are completed. Think of these tasks as your ‘top 3-5 most important things to do today list.’
Step Six: Review your remaining tasks that didn’t make your ‘top 3-5 most important things to do today‘ list, and make two additional lists.
List one is titled – “Helpful Activities To Complete.”
List two is titled – “Not Really Necessary“
Delegate the activities on list one or do them yourself after your most important tasks are completed if time remains.
Eliminate the activities from list two completely.
That’s it!
Now you have a robust system that makes sure you have created time for work, for play, for rejuvenation, for mindfulness, for family, and all of the things that matter most to you.
Remember: “I don’t have enough time” is not an excuse; It is a warning that you aren’t using your time as effectively as you could be given your current priorities. Now you have this system. Use it and create the life you dream of!
All my love,
Your Coach – Dr. Jamil
P.S. Whenever you’re ready to continue your transformation, here are a couple of ways I can help you create the life you dream of:
Download a FREE copy of my book ‘20 Steps To Your Next Breakthrough” by CLICKING HERE. This book will give you the mindsets and strategies needed to dramatically increase your momemtum towards your goals and dreams. You can also get the Audiobook version by CLICKING HERE.
Apply to work with me directly: If you’re a leader and a high performer who wants to create an extraordinary life without regret, and you want a coaching experience completely customized and tailored for you and your needs, then CLICK HERE to begin a conversation with me. See some of the results my clients have experienced by CLICKING HERE.
