How To Create More Time To Do More Of What You Love!

We all want to have more time, more time to do what we want to and be with those we love. This means, having time to do the things you love in life, to do the things you want to and not only the things you need to, which is the key to feeling fulfilled. It is certainly not easy though, and for most, having more time will always remain the elusive dream.
What you do with your time and how you use your time directly influences the results you are experiencing in life at the moment.

We all have 24 hours in a day, yet, some individuals seem to achieve way more than others, why is that? The difference lies in the way you manage your time and also, in the way you think about time.

Do you know your time thieves? Are you aware of the things you do that steal your time? Most of us are blind to our habits, most likely because they are on automatic, so it is not always obvious to ourselves how we manage our time. If you are not controlling and managing your time, you are a slave to it. Most people are clueless as to how they are managing their time.

When I was in school, there definitely weren’t any classes for time management 101, but I wish there was, it is an essential skill. Time management is not only about learning how to plan effectively and implement structure and processes, but also about developing productive behavior habits and thinking differently about time. What would it be like to be less stressed and overwhelmed and to feel more empowered and productive? Does that sound good? Then read further and learn how you can start to improve your time management skills…

1. Deeper awareness of your current situation
For change to occur, first you need awareness. It is not nice to have to identify the negatives, but it is an important step. What is it costing you to stay the way you are? What is the effect of the stress, disorganization or overwhelm you might feel in your life? Think about the sleepless nights, the anxiety, the headaches, etc; the ways in which you are negatively affected. Get really clear on that.

2. Looking ahead
Now that you are clear on how your current behavior/skills influence your life, I want you to imagine what it would be like if you didn’t have these problems anymore? How good would you feel to have more time, feel less stressed and more organized? Imagine ending the day feeling satisfied and fulfilled because not only did you do want you needed to, but also what you wanted to. If the difference between how you feel in step 1 and step 2 are huge, then I am sure you can imagine how much your life will transform if you improve this aspect of your life.

3. Where do you need to improve?
The next step is to gain awareness of how you are currently spending your time and identify your time thieves. Here are some questions to help you get started:

• Do you plan your day, week or month ahead?
• Do you work on tasks that only seem important and urgent?
• Do your emails, phone calls, internet and colleagues disrupt you often throughout the day?
• How often do you procrastinate with tasks?
• How do you make decisions and decide what to work on?

Using a time log is a great way to get the most accurate information on how you spend your time.

4. What do you do next?
Here is where you identify those time thieves and look for ways to improve how you manage your time. Think about the areas that you are wasting time and how you can make them better. What do you need to spend less time on or more time on? What needs to change?

5. Commit to achieving new results
Once you are clear on what areas you need to focus on, commit to implementing a plan and take on one new habit at a time. Perhaps you want to first master planning, and then prioritizing, and then working effectively with your To Do Lists, whatever it is, it must be put into a plan, just like a goal. Your plan will have action steps, rewards, measurables, perceived obstacles and plans to overcome them, etc

6. Develop a mindset to support you
Finally for change to be effective, you not only need to take different action but also, a different perspective. Why? Because the one that you have has given you the results you have now. A time management mindset includes but is not limited to:

• Understanding how much control you have
• Challenging the excuses you give yourself, because they are on automatic. Said in another way, don’t let your limiting thoughts dictate your actions; choose what you want to think or how you want to see the situation.
• You are responsible for your results, you are not a victim and you were not born disorganized.

So what are you waiting for? If you want more time, you don’t have to look further than where you are. You have the power, you make the decisions and you can create the life you want, or more of it. There is nothing good about feeling disempowered or to feel like a slave to time. You only have one life, you don’t get to come back and do it again, what do you want the rest of your life to look life? Take that first step now!