How many times a day do you think to yourself, “I just I had more time!” We all know we only have the time we’ve been given on this earth to do with what we will, and yet we spend most of our time wishing it were otherwise.
We need to learn to think differently about time.
It’s not as if we haven’t been trying. Time management courses have been around for decades, and work/life balance has become a cliché. e talk and talk about new ways to manage time, do things faster, tinker with our calendars and apply technology to squeeze more into a twenty-four-hour day.
But it’s not working. We’re busier than ever, and it seems to be getting worse. High standards, coupled with an uncompromising work ethic, demanding bosses, business growth, job promotions, new technology, day-to-day operations, future planning, business travel, innovation, competition, family obligations, and the details of daily life all combine to create the kind of pressure that, as one leader put it, makes it hard to breathe. All of us who suffer a scarcity of time must learn to be more effective in our use of time or risk becoming victims of our own success.
The fact is, you will never have control of your time unless you take control of your time. That means stopping long enough to get a handle on what’s happening, reflecting on whether it’s working, and learning new ways to maximize the time you’ve got. Rethinking your relationship to time takes an open mind, it takes commitment, and (ironically) it takes time. But the investment you make in maximizing your time will pay you back hour after precious hour.
Are you ready to start Maximizing Your Time? Here’s a place to start.
Get a blank sheet of paper and map out Your Ideal Day. What would it look like if you had all the time you need?
Doing this exercise can be the first step in redesigning your time and your life so you do have more time for the things that are important in your life. But don’t stop there. You can design your Ideal Week, your Ideal Month, and even your Ideal Year. Here’s why it works. If you can see the model on paper, you are going to be able to create it in reality.
To make this easy for you, I’ve created a one-page form you can use to map out your Ideal Day. It’s absolutely free, and it’s available on www.TheInnerEdge.com. Click on Worksheets and Audios on the left and scroll down to find The Ideal Day.