Do you ever feel like there are never enough hours in a day to get all the things you want to get done, done?

I used to feel that way and knew I had to figure out how to gain control over my time. When you feel like the days fly by, and there’s not enough time to check off the items on your to-do list, that’s an indicator you’ve given yourself too much life without enough time to live. And by “life” I mean the responsibility we take on for not only our life but the lives of our family, children, friends, work colleagues, pets, and our home, etc.

So, why does this happen?

I’ve pondered that question to help change my fast-moving life that seemed to go by so quickly. When I was younger, I often heard from older people how time goes by so quickly and to slow down and enjoy it. I didn’t take that sage advice seriously. What young person does? I was busy with things to do and there was no time to slow down. Plus, I just thought it was something older people said to make conversation. Well… I’m older now and let me tell you time sure does move quickly these days.  It seems I blink and a month flew by!

I knew I had to do something to change that so I researched time management and planning and scheduling your day to be productive – not just be busy. I read Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by Brian Tracy and Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen which helps with personal organization of time and getting things accomplished.  Just type in “time management” in any search engine, and you’ll find a slew of websites on the subject. I know this because I’ve spent a lot of time sifting through them and learning all I can.

I found this handy Time Management Worksheet from Upper Iowa University to help uncover the mystery of where our valuable time goes. It’s also helpful to write down everything you do in a day to figure out where your time goes. But it’s not enough to only write out your days, we also have to implement new habits.

James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, writes, “Achieving a goal only changes your life for the moment. What we really need to change are the systems that cause those results. Fix the inputs, and the outputs will fix themselves.” The book is about creating small habits that equal big results over time.

I’ve also discovered that time management is not simply about scheduling and planning; it is about believing that you deserve a good quality of life and that you don’t have to say yes to everything or everyone. That’s when you know you are giving yourself too much life without enough time to live.

How Can You Make Time Last Longer?

1. Consider yourself before anything and everything else. This is not being selfish, it’s being self-preserving, Then you make better choices that fit who you are, what you desire, and what will make you happy. Because at the end of the day, what matters most is whether or not you are satisfied with your life.  On the flip side, you could have all the time in the world, but if you’re not utilizing it with those you love or doing what want to do, you will constantly feel a pull inside, yearning for what is missing.

2. Take one day at a time. Change can’t happen overnight. Be patient with yourself and the process. We can and will get to the top of the “life staircase” one step at a time and that’s where we feel joy and happiness. Oh and peace! Lovely peace!

3. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Creating small habits makes a lasting transformation. If you want to read every day, do it! Take 15 minutes each day to read. Before you know it, you’ll be reading more and more because you’ll find the time if that’s what makes you happy. I used a habit tracker to note when I was doing the activity and it helped a lot to see progress – and that I was taking my life seriously.

4. Break up big goals into smaller action steps. If you want to run a marathon and you haven’t been active for a while, start small by taking a short walk around the block. Once you feel comfortable doing that on a regular schedule, walk two blocks, and so on. Our brains need to ease into things so we don’t freak out and quit because it’s too difficult. Take it slow. Turtles know what they’re doing! Look how long they live!

I thought having control over life meant planning out each minute of my day, but it’s not all that. We need to change our thinking about how we spend our time because writing all the plans in the world won’t get us to accomplish them. If we schedule our day with realistic expectations and do what we want to do, we can achieve anything. Start small and work your way up, and you’ll always have motivation for the next step and be more focused on the present moment.

So, is the magic secret to making time last living in the present moment.? Stay tuned! I’m going to address that in my next post.

Thank you for reading!

To a happy life,

Francesca