If I could take back time?

Do you have the luxury of time or like me does time seem to run away with you? Would you like to feel like you you have taken time back for you?

The age of technology promised us all that we would have more time to pursue leisure activities. In reality what it has meant for a lot of people is that they are tied more to work with their gadgets. In the 90’s when we left work the only way we could be reached was by phone. Now we have mobile work phones, tablets and email that can reach our home life, if we let it!

Work, Life Balance is important for us to keep our Mind , Body and Soul connected and healthy.

Keeping track of how we use our time and what takes our time and attention, is an important step in prioritizing and balancing our life. Did you know that the most successful people sleep more and play more? How does that work you ask yourself?

My view is that the more you connect with the things that feed your Soul and live your life doing what you love, the more the universe brings to you.

As you connect with yourself and the people around you on a deeper level ,you start to recognise that it is connection with your Higher Self and your community that fill your life with joy. It is hard when you are in Survival mode to see that there is another way.

In my life I have found when I have taken risks and followed my heart rather than the purse, the rewards have exceeded the monetary value.

For example when my children were small I wanted to become a Counsellor. I had no money and no access to funding to do my training, but I asked that it would be given and I found No 5 where I could get my counselling for FREE if I gave my time to volunteer for one year, once I qualified.

That time was really special for me and money could not have bought the Friendships and sense of Belonging and Reward from the people that I worked with and from counselling young people. Don’t get me wrong it was not easy, I had three children under 7, working part time but it was worth it. I took control of my time and energy and put it where it mattered.

Here are some of my top tips for taking control of time.

Decide what is important in your life?

Give yourself an hour or two, grab a notebook and pen and take some time to think about the following questions?

1. When you have time what are the things that I love to do? Write them down and think about when you last took time out for yourself?

2. Now think about your daily routines and what you need to do on a daily basis that makes you feel healthy and well. If time was object what would you like to do on a daily basis. Maybe meditate, run, walk or keep a journal.

3. What relationships and friendships feed your Soul and make you smile. Who would you like to spend more time with? Who drains you and needs to go?

4. What do you say ‘Yes’ to when you would rather say ‘No’? Think about how you might say ‘No’ and how that might feel?

5. Make a list of the things you have to do on a daily basis and how much time you need to devote to each? So travel to work, work, shopping etc.

So now where does your time go?

Over the next week I want you to keep a note of the time you spend doing things?

The purpose of this is to start to get you to think about where your time goes. Do you get up and spend the first half an hour of the day checking Facebook or emails?

How much TV do you watch that you enjoy or is it something to occupy your mind?

Often we mindlessly go through the day on Auto pilot and are unaware of the routines and habits we have built up. Keeping the diary will help you to notice where your time is taken and what is a waste and what is not.

REFLECT, RECOGNISE AND TAKE ACTION

So now you have a record of what you spend your time on. Reflect on the diary and recognise where you might take charge of your time and spend it doing things that feed your Soul rather than fill a void.

I joined a Mindfulness course a couple of years ago and one of the conditions of the course was that you put aside 45 minutes a day to practice mindfulness. I have always meditated but it had been sporadic and I wanted to make it part of my daily routine.

So I looked at me morning routine and For example I found that I spent the first hour of the morning fiddling about wasting time on Facebook and emails. So what I did was think about what was for my Higher good. So two hours of fiddling about on Facebook or emails is of no benefit, so the internet is banned for the first two hours of my day. That way I stay connected to myself and focused on my priorities.

So now depending on what time I have my priorities are;

• Cup of tea and chores

• Gratitude journal, inspiring read and the 3 P’s for the day — positive actions, positive interactions and positive thoughts

• Meditation

• Exercise

• Daily pages

I don’t have time for all of the above but I always make the 30 minutes for me as a priority. I now have this routine set whether I am at home or way and I definitely feel more centred and focused. I now want to build meditation into my evenings, so time to tackle the habit of watching the box in the centre of the room.

So I hope this has been enlightening and have some idea of how to take time back from the time thief.