Make Time for What Is Important

"It is time to make the time."

~Henry Dumas

How often have you said "I don't have time" or "I'll do it when I have time"?  Too often we make excuses about time.  While it is true that there is a finite number of hours in the day and often more demands on us than there is time to do them, there really IS time--for the things that are most important.  Unfortunately, we sometimes don't spend our time on the things that are most important.  We postpone those and instead busy ourselves with minor tasks or time wasters.  If something is important in your life, it is time to make the time. 

This week:  Spend 20 minutes planning your week.  Look at what the demands on your time are.  What things have you been postponing saying you "don't have enough time."  Look honestly at them and ask yourself "If I keep postponing doing this, what will be the result?  How important is this to me?"  Evaluate all of your tasks for the week this way.  Start postponing the ones that are not as important.  Even if you don't have a block of time to spend on an important task, begin to do some small step toward accomplishing it.  Notice how that feels to you.  Sometimes when we pay attention to what is really important and "make the time" for it, we rediscover a passion that had been lying dormant. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and certified trainer at the Inner Resource Center, LLC.  She specializes in helping people overcome the obstacles to their success and happiness and begin living more meaningful lives.  She is the creator of the Discover Your Life's Purpose: 7 Steps to a Life of Meaning & Authencity program as well as the Banish Self Sabotage series.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Don't Fear Time--Use It

"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use."

~Earl Nightingale

Many people avoid starting something because they think it will take too much time.  They think they don't have enough time,so they end up wasting the time they do have.   The time will pass anyway, whether we are doing something that brings us closer to our goals or not.  When we avoid doing things because we think we don't have enough time, we are sabotaging ourselves and letting this excuse stop us from living fully. 

This week: Identify something you have been procrastinating about because you think you don't have "enough time."  Decide how much time you DO have--whether it is 5 minutes, 20 minutes, 1 hour or 3 hours.  Invest that time in the task you have been avoiding.  At the end of the time, evaluate. Have you accomplished more of the task than you would have if you had done nothing?  Are you further along toward completion than you were?  Of course.  Use little bits of time and build momentum toward achieving that goal.  It may take you awhile to complete it, but you will be further along each time you use your time for that task.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people achieve goals, overcome obstacles and discover how to live a meaning life.  She specializes in helping people overcome self sabotage--those things we do unconsciously to block our success and happiness.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/