I'll tell you why you aren't using your time wisely
How often does the thought “I don’t have enough time” enter your head? Chances are, this thought pops up many times, but how often is that actually true? Oftentimes we are just not using our time wisely which can lead to us feeling overwhelmed and like we don’t have enough time. Let’s talk through why you might be feeling this way and what you can do to have enough time for all you want to do throughout the day.
What current circumstances are you dealing with? What work project are you working on? Are your kids running around screaming? Have you cooked dinner? Have you taken the time to clean around the house? Do you have any other obligations that consume any free time that you potentially could have? With all of this in mind, you’re most likely thinking “I don’t have enough time for everything.”
The thought “I don’t have enough time” is extremely common.
As humans, we’ve all thought this probably several times a week, or even several times a day... How do you feel when that thought comes to mind? Stressed? Overwhelmed? Anxious? The emotions can vary, but most of these emotions eventually lead you to try and avoid whatever it is that needs to be done.
So what do you do when you’re avoiding tasks you need to complete?
Are you scrolling through social media? Watching a TV series? Wandering around in the kitchen? Or even hiding in your room? Avoiding tasks also creates problems with spending too much of our time in indecision. As we’re scrolling on our phones we might consider downloading new apps or just scroll endlessly through our social media feed. It’s usually after we’re done scrolling that we realize we’ve wasted so much of our time and usually a lot more time was wasted than we had originally thought. This can only mean one thing...the reason we wasted the time that we do have is because we started thinking to ourselves that we don’t have the time to do what we need to.
Now imagine this: Sarah has seven children, with a newborn. She’s the only one at home taking care of them, and has hardly slept the last few days (because newborn).
You probably think, there is no way for her to get anything done. She’s too busy!
But this is where our thoughts are super important.
Because instead of thinking “I don’t have time to do anything,” she starts thinking “I’m going to make the most out of my time today. I’m going to be productive with whatever time I’m given.”
When you have a scarcity mindset around time, that’s when things start to go off the rails and you enter a never-ending spiral of doom. But if you think that whatever time you are given to be productive, you will be productive, then you leave that spiral of doom. You begin to realize that you have the time, it’s all about how you choose to spend that time.
Now, I like to call myself a time ninja, because I’ve mastered this skill and never tell myself I don’t have enough time. I always tell myself I have enough time to finish everything I need to for that day. Of course I have enough time! And the real game changer is reminding yourself how grateful you are for the time that you do have each day, and that completely changes how you feel about your time and what you decide to do with it. I have seen amazing results from putting this into practice, and I know you can achieve these results too.
This is where having a life coach can help you. As a certified weight and life coach myself, I can help you bridge your thoughts to make them believable for you, so that you too can experience this process of shifting your mindset and thoughts. You’ll see yourself beginning to also think these thoughts, from there you’ll notice the change and start to feel better, and then you can really start to take action and make true changes that will make a positive impact on your habits, choices, and life. This is what we can do together, and what I can help you with!
How to Get Yourself Across the Finish Line
It's that time of year when everyone is trying to wrap up projects, classes, and deadlines. This article talks about ways to help get through that final push.
It's that time of year when everyone is hustling and bustling around.
My students are exhausted and just trying to make it through the end of the semester. The holidays still seem far enough away, but wait - we're already several days into the last month of the year. The finish line to the end of the year is in sight, but it feels so far away. We're all in that kind of in-between stage of adding things to the to-do list when there is already plenty on it to complete. What do you do when you can see the finish line, but it still feels far away?
Remember what the finish line actually represents.
Is the finish line the end of the semester to you? The end of the year? What is the line and how do you want to feel when you cross that line? Sure, time will march on and that date will come no matter what you do. But do you want to crawl across the finish line or feel strong at the end? I can't help the running analogies - I've been back in my running groove lately. After having a rough finish at a race this fall, my new goal is always to feel strong at the end, even if it means not making a new personal record time. What's your goal? What do you envision for that date or time that is in sight?
Make a list of everything in between you and that finish line.
I know not everyone is a list maker. But often, my students and clients come into my office, talking about how much they have to get done before the end of the week or the semester. They have so much going on and so much to do. So I ask them to list it out on paper. And more often than not, the list isn't as long as they had imagined it in their heads. Mental to do lists are dangerous for us to carry around. Get it all down on paper or in an app so you can actually see it.
Even when the list is long, are there things on the list that are "wishes" versus "must complete?" I'm guilty of making lists that are never accomplishable within 24 hours from time to time. I gently remind myself, "Well, most of these tasks were wishes to complete, not set in stone." Remove the wishes from the list and focus on what must get done when the finish line is in sight. Everything else is a bonus.
Take time to stay in the present moment.
Mindfulness meditation has become even more important for me this year. When I start to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of end-of-year activities, I stop. Remind myself to take a deep breath. Marvel in the fact that I have this chance, this present moment. Think about how I have survived many of these types of chaotic times and I will go through more in the future. This is just one. I can be present and be in the moment during these times, even when the finish line is so close.
Build in downtime after the finish line.
Sometimes when we're getting ready to cross the finish line, we move the line. We say, "Oh okay this is the end of the semester, but now I'm working on the end of the year." Wait, what? Why move the finish line on yourself? Enjoy getting ready to cross it and build in some downtime surrounding the finish line. I really believe in the importance of taking a true day of rest. So before making the next finish line for yourself, enjoy that you have crossed one.