9 Ways to Make Time for What’s Important to You

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut. Many of us live the same day repeatedly, over and over. We get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch TV, and go to bed. The next day is a re-run, simply a replay. We all have other things we’d like to accomplish, but it seems that we run out of day before we have time to work on the more meaningful parts of life.

How much time do you spend on the most important aspects of your life – those activities that fulfill your life purpose? Has your life changed considerably in the last year? The last 10 years? Where will you end up 10 years from today considering the current rate of your progress?

Try these timesaving activities to free up part of your day for more important matters:

1. Create a to-do list each day.
   Spend a few minutes each evening and make a list for the following day. Decide how you’re going to spend your time each day. Include tasks that address both short-term needs and long-term objectives.
2. List your focus for the next year.
   Become a more effective parent, to get a promotion or increase your skill on the piano? It’s not possible to reliably create a fantastic life or accomplish amazing things without being aware of them beforehand. 

• • If you know your purpose for the next 12 months, this can prevent you from wasting your time on less important tasks.

3. Concentrate on progress and forget perfection.
   Perfection takes too long. It’s also not much better than doing the job well. Perfection is often used as an excuse to spend too much time on a task. Accomplish the task at the appropriate level and move on.
4. Take a moment several times each day to evaluate your progress and activity.
   Are you spending your time wisely? Is there a better action you could be taking? It’s easy to be caught up in meaningless tasks. It doesn’t mean that just because you’re busy, you’re accomplishing anything meaningful.
5. Cut out on multitasking.
   It’s time for everyone to give up the notion that multitasking is efficient. Studies repeatedly show that multitasking is less efficient. Just because you’re better at multitasking than everyone else doesn’t mean it’s the optimal solution. Do one thing at a time, and then move on.
6. Notice how you waste time. How do you amuse yourself when you get bored? What do you do when you procrastinate? Social media, web surfing, television, and texting are some of the more common activities. Notice how you waste time and recognize it when it happens.

• • The sooner you’re able to stop yourself, the better the odds of success.

7. Just say “no.”
   That simple word can be challenging to say simply because we don’t like to disappoint others. Once you have a reputation for saying “yes,” the requests never stop. You’ll be driving your neighbor to the airport and get stuck baking the cake for every office celebration.

• • Refusing requests is showing respect for your time and goals. Avoid biting off more than you can chew. Be helpful, but not at the expense of your own life.

8. Schedule time for yourself.
   Outside of work, meals, and sleep, most of us fail to schedule adequately. If your dream is to author a novel, build time into your daily schedule to sit down and write.
9. De-clutter your life. Yes!
   Get rid of the extra junk on the shelves, but there’s more to a full de-cluttering. Drop the activities, people, thoughts, and ideas that take up time or energy without providing an acceptable level of return. Let go of the things that prevent you from focusing on your life purpose.

It’s easy to squander away your time. With much of our days filled with work and sleep, it can be a real challenge to find the time for other activities.  Ensure that you define your purpose and make it a priority. Your life will be enhanced tremendously.