How to make the most of your time!

I heard something recently that really made me stop and think about time.

I was listening to a Bossbabe training series on time management,and I was so inspired by the CEO Alex Wolf’s passion about time and using it wisely. Something that really struck me was the idea that it is very easy to get fixated on making and spending money, when actually the most valuable thing we all have is time. Unlike money that can come and go, there is no refund on time….once you’ve spent it, it’s gone.

I don’t know about you, but I can sometimes get very caught up in constantly looking forward to things, such as upcoming events or more often than not – the weekend! But really by only living for the weekend, that’s 5 days/120 hours inbetween that will continue to pass by week after week whether you choose to pay attention to them or not.

The danger with not paying attention is that you get the feeling that ‘time flies‘ or ‘you don’t know where the time has gone‘ which can sometimes leave us feeling a little short-changed, like we haven’t got everything we would of hoped from a certain amount of time.

Here are 4 ways to make the most of your time:

Start each day by saying ‘thank you’ – without sounding too morbid, no day is ever promised to us and this is something that I really do take for granted at times. By waking up with gratitude for another day, it can really help to put your time into perspective!
Don’t waste time on things you don’t enjoy – your time is too precious to waste on things that don’t make you feel great! This includes things like the job you have right down to the TV you watch, if it leaves you feeling deflated or doesn’t serve a particular purpose is it really a great use of your time?
Don’t pay too much attention to the clock! – Do you ever find yourself in the evening thinking ‘I really should do that thing but meh I’ll do it tomorrow, it’s too late to start anything now’ well I have two pieces of advice about this. Firstly, read Alexandra Franzen’s advice on the power of the phrase “today’s not over yet” (it will change your relationship with time!) and secondly, if you need something doing and you feel able to do it…DO IT! (n.b.- this isn’t an excuse to not sleep however!)
Meditate, meditate, MEDITATE! – So much of our time is easily wasted in our minds worrying or planning or going over things that have already happened, all the while missing what is going on in real-time. Ten minutes of meditation everyday can really make a difference in helping to keep our minds in the moment, helping us to feel like we have more time, when really there’s no ‘extra’ time involved it’s just we’re more appreciative.

I hope you find these tips helpful and find more tips on how to incorporate mindfulness into everyday here! I’d love to hear from you on any things you find useful for making the most of your time. Leave a comment or tweet me @makingitmindful.

Love,

Chrissy x