Time.
Ugh.
It’s not even real.
Time is our imagined human tool for measuring the “when” of things. Meanwhile, the rest of the universe continues to exist in its endless unfathomable fashion.
Yet, here we are. Keeping count of what was and what is coming, meanwhile, what’s real is our present. The here and the now. That’s where you are and where you always will be.
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Thanks for sticking with my after that philosophical rant. On to one more move you should take to draw out your authentic success, and that is to find a way to control time. Not Time as in all of it, but your time and the relationship you have with it in the present moment.
Do you lament what could have been, but just seems to keep slipping further away?
Do you fret over the future that’s not quite there?
While both are human emotions, both these feelings deceive us into thinking we’re doing something about it, by just thinking about it. Meanwhile, our bodies are frozen from our thoughts and we are not living, dancing, creating, acting or doing any of the wonderful things we could be doing.
Live, create, dance and do all the wonderful things you are meant to do!
So, a challenge to take is finding your special system for helping you feel in control of your time. To start, here are five free tools to try this year. Check them out and comment below on what your five favorite tools are!
I may have posted about this app before. Why? Because it’s so useful. It’s a site I started using to help me organized as I homeschooled myself through high school. Keeping track of classes, college admissions, and a part-time job seemed like a lot to me back then. Now, damn near a decade later, and it’s simple design still helps me keep track of a scheduled that has tripled in activity and accountability to others.
How to Use It
Write down the major domains or roles in your life (professional, entrepreneur, community leader, baker, etc.) then under these domains write your goals and visions that you hope to achieve. Then as time goes on, update and take notes as needed. Let your big ideas and visions lie here, instead of dwelling in your imagination and taking up mind space.
Once you’ve gotten the larger chunks of your life sorted out, it is time to hone in on your average day. As shared in the last article, assessing your time honestly will help bring you clarity. Once you have some and identified space in your schedule, you need to update your calendar and then make absolutely sure the big things you care about (as jotted down in your Workflowy) actually have space in your week or day.
It is incredibly easy to say you’ll get around to doing something and then letting it slip away. There is a stronger commitment to be made when you put it on your calendar.
Remember
Use some of the white space on your calendar for your self-care and free time. By tending to yourself, you will prolong your journey and avoid potential burnout on your path to success.
This is an app I have on my android, but actual kitchen timers work too. If you ever need to get a jump on something, but instead find yourself procrastinating, set a timer for 10-15 minutes and agree that it’s okay to stop there. You will be amazed at what can be accomplished in 15 minutes, and many times that work you wanted to do becomes less of a hassle once you have started it.
Try this Quick Tip
If you’re online or the work is to be done online, type in “15-minute timer” into the Google Search bar for a quick timer option.
These three truly make up the foundation of a filled life. Of course, you’re more than encouraged to fill your toolbox with what works for you. The trick is to find the tools you return to and commit to sticking with them for 6-12 months.
Comment below: What tools do you recommend for mastering your time?
Until next week – Zinga
Zinga Hart 