Tag Archives: Time

“Ask yourself: Does the job touch my heart and feed my soul?”

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“Ask yourself: Does the job touch my heart and feed my soul? You will never be what you were meant to be if you aren’t having fun.”

—Suzy Welch, American Author, television commentator, and business journalist

Image from Unsplash by Atlas Green

If you light up on Friday and dread Monday, today’s quote is meant for you. Take heart in that 65-75% of the working world is in the same boat.

For dramatic purposes, that form of regret or stress can represent about 25 years of life, if you include a bit of traffic on your daily commute.

To what degree is this way too high a price to pay?

Beyond family and friends, how we spend our days and who we spend them with makes up far too much of our lives to have it not touch our hearts and feed our souls.

EXERCISE:

What significant, courageous, and of course, fun changes can and will you take to more fully realize that time is the coin of life?

The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it

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“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”

—Sydney J. Harris, 20th Century American Journalist

Image of a man floating in water and reading a book

Image from Unsplash by Toa Heftier

Time is a funny thing. Among the priority topics in a coaching relationship it usually is in the top three to five items people wish to impact.

Billions are spent each year on all sorts of books, blogs, workshops, webinars, and seminars to help us all manage this elusive and seemingly scarce resource.

You are welcome to download my free workbook, Time Management Strategies and Tactics. Enter the password “BarryDemp” when prompted.

The reason for all this attention is that there is simply too many “to do’s” for the time available. We have all experienced being drained, as if we were a smart phone battery needing a recharge.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you allocate some of your precious time for relaxation and renewal of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energies?

Please consider replying to this post regarding the actions you take and the difference it makes.

 

If you were to do nothing

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“Think of the consequences if you were to do nothing.”

—Author Unknown

FOMO – the Fear of Missing Out – has many folks living in overdrive throughout their days. When asked by colleagues and friends how they are, they respond with words such as, busy, slammed, and crazy.

A common exercise I offer to my clients is to create a Time Log – to capture the reality of where their time is going. With this new awareness, they can reduce or stop certain activities completely, and regain a greater degree of control in their lives.

In the case of the seeming urgent but not important aspects of life, doing nothing has no real consequences. On the other hand, doing nothing on the important aspects that may also be urgent (or not) can have significant consequences.

EXERCISE:

Consider creating a Time Log or applying Steven Covey’s Time Matrix to the various aspects of your life.

Do you want to be happy

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“Do you want to be happy? Let go of what’s gone, be grateful for what remains, and look forward to what is coming.”

—Author Unknown

Image of five clock on a wall, showing different time zones

Image from Unsplash by Luis Cortes

Through my mindfulness efforts over the past few years, I realize that I live in three different time zones. At certain times, I reflect on the past and hold on or grasp for what seems like “the good one days.”

The bulk of my days, I try my best to remain present, in the moment, so that I can make the most of the here and now, and be grateful for all I have.

Of course, we would not be human if we did not demonstrate a healthy curiosity about the years ahead, knowing that our actions today can manifest our visions for the future.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you increase your own happiness and life satisfaction by letting go of what’s gone, being grateful for what remains, and looking forward to what is coming?

Friday Review of posts on TIME

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Friday Review: Time

What are your beliefs and practices relative to time?  Here are a few time-related posts you may have missed. Click on the link to read the full message.

 

“What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.”

 

 

 

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”

 

 

 

“There are people whose clocks stop at a certain point in their lives.”

 

 

 

 

 

Well Arranged Time

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“Well arranged time is the surest mark of a well arranged mind.”

—Sir Isaac Pitman, developer of the Pitman method of Shorthand

Image of a silver pocket watch

Image from Unsplash by Isabella Christina

Time management is almost always one of the top goals of my coaching clients.

They describe their desires with wording such as:

  • Life Balance
  • Stress Reduction
  • Personal Freedom
  • Independence and Autonomy
  • Peace of Mind
  • Spending time and energy on what’s most important
  • Work less and make more

All too frequently the tyranny of the urgent, or the pervasiveness of digital distractions, leaves us stressed and exhausted, with less than stellar results and satisfaction.

EXERCISE:

How can you more fully plan your days and work your plans to realize the life you sincerely desire?

Consider downloading a copy of my Time Management Strategies and Tactics Workbook, to help rearrange your mind and time. Please use the password BarryDemp if prompted to do so.

Time is the wave upon the shore

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“Time is the wave upon the shore. It takes some things away, but it brings other things.”

—Amy Neftzger, Author, researcher, drummer

Image of sunset and waves on a beach

Image from Unsplash by Ivana Moratto

The other night I couldn’t fall asleep. I tried numerous sleep strategies but still couldn’t catch any zzzz’s. The strategy that finally worked was to listen to an app on my phone that recreates the sound of waves rhythmically lapping against the shore.

Equating time to a wave upon the shore has appeal, a calming effect, as compared to the abrupt and fast aspects of our days.

EXERCISE:

How can you better and more fully embrace the flow of time and the comings and goings of life?

twice as much time as money

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“If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them, and half as much money.”

—Abigail Van Buren, Advice Columnist

Image of a wristwatch

Image from Unsplash by Hanny Naibaho

“Dear Abby” is an advice column founded in 1956 by Pauline Phillips under the pen name Abigail Van Buren. The column is carried on by her daughter Jean Phillips, who now owns the legal rights to the pen name.

The column is well known for its sound, compassionate advice delivered with the straightforward style of a good friend.

EXERCISE:

In addition to your children, who else in your personal or professional communities would benefit most from more quality time with you? What interaction with you would allow them to more fully realize their own inner strength and potential?

The butterfly counts not months but moments

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“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.”

—Rabindranath Tagore, Bengali winner of the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature

Close-up image of a butterfly

Image from Unsplash by Boris Smokrovic

The life cycle of a butterfly has four stages: Egg, Caterpillar, Pupa, and Adult.

Surprisingly, most adult butterflies live only one or two weeks, but some species hibernate during the winter and may live several months.

Whether their lives are weeks or months long, time to fulfill their purpose is short for these remarkable and beautiful creatures. They must somehow be conscious to this fact and see the importance and urgency of not wasting a single moment.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you cherish every moment of your life, and take coaching from the butterfly to transform your world?

Timing is Everything

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“Timing is everything. It is as important to know when as to know how.”

—Arnold Glasow, 20th Century American Humor Writer

Image from Unsplash by Andrik Langfield Petrides

Many people, including myself, are information junkies. We have varying levels of addiction to resources such as “How To” books, YouTube videos, TED Talks, and other forms of media, which build on our mountains of knowledge.

Recently, Daniel Pink published his newest book, titled WHEN – The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. This book sheds light on the importance of knowing when to:

  • Schedule your most important work
  • Incorporate breaks and even naps in your day
  • Change jobs
  • Get married
  • Start or end a project
  • Do analytic versus creative tasks

EXERCISE:

Consider picking up a copy of WHEN right now, to discover some of your own secrets of your own perfect timing.