Time is so precious. We’ve also all been at different points of the time continuum during the pandemic. Some of us have felt like we have plenty of time to indulge in hobbies; others (me!) are working all the hours just to keep up.
This is not an article on how to create more time but it is meant to provide some food for thought on how you currently are spending your time:
1. What are your top time priorities?
Yes, the answer to this question changes from life stage to life stage and most definitely during the pandemic. My top three priorities have been my own and my family’s health (both physical and mental), managing my work responsibilities and retaining a semblance of myself with things that are fun for me. Included are eating, sleeping, managing stress, and exercising well. I don’t sleep well if I worry too much about work and I’m not in a great space mentally if I don’t also do fun things for me, so they all tie together.
Can you identify your top time priorities?
If we’re not intentional about our time and how we spend it, I promise you others will fill it up with their priorities. Interestingly, these two things are almost never the same. See full caption from Instagram here.
2. Is your time spent in alignment with those priorities?
If you look over your week or month, does your time spent look like you’re prioritising the correct things? It’s okay if it doesn’t currently align, but at least you now have the awareness.
How will you know that things are not aligned? You can’t find anything in your schedule that aligns with your priorities. Maybe you do find your priorities on your schedule but there’s not enough time allocated, e.g. exercise or hobbies or fun? What are you dreaming about at night? That’s also a signal you’re not dealing with things during your waking hours.
Where do you feel out of alignment?
3. Which time statement do you find yourself saying to yourself or others? Consider these two sentence pairs.
a) I have to…. feels like you have no choice while I get to…. feels like you have made the choice to do it. The second statement is more empowering.
Example: I have to make the kids’ lunches (sounds like a chore) vs I get to make the kids’ lunches (feels to me like an act of service/ love). Another very relevant one during Covid: I have to work late (you have no choice in the matter) vs I get to work late (I have the luxury of no commute so I can put in an extra hour or two occasionally).
b) I don’t have time feels disempowering while it’s not a priority for me right now feels like a carefully-considered time choice.
I get how the second statement can feel awkward sometimes but it’s kinder than not being honest with yourself and others. Brene Brown says “clear is kind” and it feels very kind to me to say honestly if something isn’t a priority in your life at this time.
How has your thinking changed?
