Gotta be honest. There’s no extra time to be found … anywhere.
Sorry — Not sorry
Extra time just does not exist. Each of us has the same allotment of hours in a day, days in a year, years in a lifetime.
It’s what we make of our time that matters. You know that. I know you do.
So why belabor the semantics?
Because while it’s true that time, as we deal with it daily, exists in predetermined limited amount … it is possible to lose time … thus fueling humankind’s great search for finding it.
The ways we lose time is often dictated by our thoughts. It’s there where we chew on perceived reality to feed our mindsets.
What have you been feeding your mindset?
Are you supplying it with a healthy diet of what’s possible … or indulging it in empty calories tasting of lack, despair, and want?
Below I’m sharing my own 10 Commandments for Finding Time, along with the backstory of how it came to be. Consider it a recipe of sorts. Something nutritious to satisfy your craving for more time.
Forgive me the title promise of being able to find more time. It’s the phrase we’re most familiar with, so fits the menu here. Creative license and all. 🙂
Once upon a time …
I first created this list years and years ago, back when my kids were young. I was coping with the rigors of 24/7 dairy farm life, while squirreling away moments to write and publish numerous newspaper and magazine articles, 15 nonfiction books (byline Kathy Henderson then), plus volunteering in my community, occasionally attending and speaking at writer conferences.
It was at one of those conferences someone asked me, “How do you find the time?” and I literally had to stop and think about that.
That someone was a young mother who confided she was at the conference to learn more about “how to write better.” She was interested in being a published author someday but was holding off pursuing that dream until her children were older. She said that she was resigned to the fact that her days were just too full to fit in any real writing, plus the editing, and all that other work that needed doing just to attempt to get published.
When questioned, she admitted she rarely took time to put pen to paper because, you know, she knew she didn’t have time to make it worthwhile.
My guess is she’s likely still waiting for that random someday in the future when the timing will be right. Perfect. All things go.
Here’s the thing …
Waiting is not looking for more time. Waiting is waiting.
Waiting is time lost
Her reasons for waiting were rooted in mindset, a way to avoid taking responsibility for her thoughts about time. And, like many wannabe writers, avoiding the possibility her written work might get rejected by publishers or worse, readers. It’s easier to blame lack of time versus lack of effort.
She was feeding her mind rubbish … and wasting her time and potential away.
She wasn’t looking for time … because she was convinced there was none to be found!
Yes, I hear you …
I’m not saying she wasn’t busy, that her days weren’t full to the brim caring for others. That’s not the point. In this case, her sensitive ego was feeding her mindset what it considered safe thoughts.
Stay safe. Don’t put yourself out there too soon. You might get hurt. Look, you’ll have all the time to do it right in the future. You haven’t time now. You’ve got kids. So wait.
Are you ready to take charge of your time?
Remember above when I said I had needed to stop and think about how I had time and that young mother didn’t?
Well, I took a long, hard look at my own life, and I researched how other busy business folks still got things done. Once I chewed on it a bit my list of Ten Commandment for Finding Time was born.
I keep it handy because there are times I’m prone to wasting time, to staying safely behind the curtain of there was too much other stuff to do.
If you want to rock your unique path to success, you need to find the time.
TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR FINDING TIME
- Stop complaining about not having time.
— You’ll only prove yourself right. - Be honest with yourself. — Know what you’re after and what you
must do to get it. - Determine what is preventing you from finding time. — Accept
what you can’t change, work creatively to change what you can. - Stop feeling guilty if you will really are trying.
— Guilt only consumes more time and energy. - Project a professional attitude. — Be first to believe in you.
- Know what motivates you. — Incorporate it into your schedule in
reasonable amounts. - Invest in yourself. — Earmark a portion of every business related
dollar you make towards advancing your own career. - Reward yourself when a project is completed. — And not before.
- Be a discriminate volunteer.
— Community service is not a waste time. - When you find time — Use it wisely!
Would you like a printable copy of my Ten Commandments for Finding Time? Click here for a one page PDF — no opt-in required.
How do you feel about time? Let me know in the Comments.
I like your list of Ten Commandments for Finding Time. I’m fairly good at keeping a schedule and spending my time wisely. That is unless I’m re-organizing and I get stuck looking though things that bring back memories. Then I’m stuck in a time capsule. LOL
Oh, Martha, you too, eh? I can go down those rabbit memory holes with the best of them. However, I do have a great system for easy organizing and flexible filing. Let me know if you’d like me to send you some information on it.
Great commandments and reminders about taking responsibility for our time. Appreciate your stories and your perspective. time to take stock of what I am spending my time on and let go of some things. I need more time to rest and simply be. No one is filling up my time except me!
Appreciate your feedback and personal insight. Rest and spending time to simply be is important. That’s not wasted time. That’s time well used. Good on you for recognizing the need for more in your own life.
Do you remember when it was popular to sell time management books and tools?
One theory was to plan your day in 15 minutes intervals so that you did not have as much wasted time in each 30-minute allocation of time.
The best insight I received was that it is not possible to manage time. It is not a manageable entity only an abstraction created by man. The only thing that can be managed is the man and what he thinks and does.
Totally agree with you, Doug. Time can’t be managed, just our actions and mindsets. Must admit I still enjoy reading many books about time management. Most include a few gold nuggets of useful insight.
I like your helpful 10 commandments for finding time. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Glad to hear that, Jojo. Thanks for reading.