When it comes to time management, what helps you focus on getting the most out of your day? Sometimes I find myself wishing I had more time to do the things I want to do. When I have that kind of thinking, I also know I need to stop and reset my focus. I need to shift towards how I can better manage life rather than managing time.
A Trigger Point to Manage Life
Have you ever head or used the following phrases?
- “How can I carve out more time to get things done?”
- “Wish I had more time in my day…”
- “I can’t find time to do all the things I want to do.”
- “Where does the time go?”
I sure have – used all these phrases and more. I realize that these statements are triggers to help me stop and think about my mindset around time management and productivity.
Time – Life that Keeps on Ticking
We all have the same chronological measurement of time each day. There are no exceptions in this area except for the extra day we receive every four years (Leap Year).
Mindset is essential in how we approach productivity. Time management is less about how we maintain the clock and more about how we handle life with the time I have. When I can shift from thinking and longing for more time (I can’t create more time in the day) to a mindset of how I can manage my life in the timeframe of the day, then I can take proactive steps towards increasing productivity. With a focus on taking care of my life, I can shift from longing for more time to taking action to do the things that matter, prioritizing time in my schedule to get things done.
Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.
Miles Davis
Manage Life – Getting Lost in Time
Time happens in two ways. First, think of time as a measure of counted moments in a day (ticks on the clock). We manage life through our schedules and calendars in this experience of time. Second, time can also be a measure of timelessness where we get lost in a moment and lose track of the counted time. In these timeless moments, who cares what time it is.
I get lost in moments such as time with my family, a soulful conversation, photographing a sunset, hiking in the mountains. In these moments of losing track of the clock, time no longer becomes chronological. Yet, we cannot force these timeless encounters to happen. Time emerges as soulful experiences or a grace of love that transcends the moment, or the awareness of the ordinary becoming holy, a sacred moment.
Gamble everything for love, if you are a true human being. If not, leave this gathering. Half-heartedness doesn’t reach into majesty.
Rumi
Manage Life in the Value of Time
There is no compounding interest in time. We cannot save it and deposit it for use at a later time. We have to value the time we have and be mindful of what we are doing with our time each day.
Mindset is a necessary element for productivity. How I manage life in the scheduled time throughout the day helps me be more ready to surrender to the timeless moments for which we long, where life becomes meaningful.
Your Turn
What helps you manage life throughout your day? In what ways do you most experience the timeless moments where life becomes meaningful and intentional for you?
I welcome your comments.
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