Want to know a secret? You'll never find more time.
But you can create more time – by, for example, letting go of tasks and activities that don’t support your intentions, goals, and values anymore.
Because having more time isn't what helps you feel more relaxed and at ease in your life. It's living with a sense of ease and not rushing through life that gives a feeling of more time.
I used to think that my levels of busyness and stress were medals of honor. Just that I completely forgot about myself, what I wanted to create, let alone take care of myself. But, thankfully, this has shifted for me. And this can shift for you, too.
When I recovered from surgery two weeks ago, I realized that I had a achieved a goal from my Big 5 for Life. It was an area that I thought I had gotten stuck in, that a lot of my energy went towards, only to finally understand that I have already achieved this goal – and can now redirect my energy to another one of my goals.
If you need a little help, here’s an exercise to help you get some information (which I view as data) to start:
- Write down all the tasks / activities that you do in a day. The small and big ones, the mundane and important ones. Then add how much time each one takes you. Sometimes you may be surprised what you find.
- Ask yourself, how important is each of these tasks / activities? This will help you put things into perspective.
If you want to challenge yourself, create another list. Add all the things / activities that you would like to do, but don’t have any time for. Write down how much time you think each task / activity will take you. You may be surprised again.
Just the simple act of getting this on paper, out of the head, is already a huge help in knowing how you spend your time.
So, if you are like me and like to explore… you can apply the same principle to people. Who do you enjoy spending time with? And who do you feel is stealing your time… and your energy?
Change begins with awareness. When we are not aware of what’s going on, we just stay on auto-pilot and continue to be in the same loop. And you know what? The choice is always yours, even though it often doesn’t feel that way.
May you experience more time, focus, and energy – today and every day.
About Andrea Deierlein & Thrive Reiki, LLC: Andrea's work specializes in helping people transform the pain of life challenges and daily adversity through the practice of Reiki. She helps people struggling with stress, anxiety and overwhelm, to relax, calm down and breathe again. Focusing on stress management and the mind-body-connection, her clients shift out of survival mode, build focus and resilience. Connect with her on www.thrivereiki.com or follow her on Instagram @andreadeierlein