How you use your time shapes not only your productivity levels but also your wellbeing and ultimately how fulfilling your life is. Knowing that your choices about time create such an impact, are you ready to look at your time choices more closely?Have you ever been in a space where, for a day or a month or so, you felt really great? Things flowed along and you felt an inner experience of peace and calm. You were not on holidays, rather, you were doing your normal workload but things just felt “easy” as if they were just falling into place. If things came up they were dealt with. You were productive but not stressed. It could be called a joyful process in many ways… Have you ever been in that space? It is an experience of wellbeing and accomplishment without drama or stress. Want some of that?
Well it’s very doable if you can design your time boundaries well. Creating specific time boundaries will help you to be more productive without the stress. It will also create an inner sense of fulfillment because you are ultimately living according to your own values and priorities.
1. Understand that the way you spend your time impacts the quality of your life
2. Accept that you are responsible for how you spend your time (No blaming work, your boss, your kids, your spouse)
3. Discover what is important to you. You need to understand your personal values as they will direct you to the activities that are the most fulfilling for you. These are activities that give you energy and you experience that sense of aliveness. This is very personal and each of us is different. Here are a few questions to get you started:
When did you feel the happiest? Consider what you were doing, who you were with.
What do your choices show you about your values? Consider the people you choose to have in your life, how you treat others and how you respond to hardship. In these interactions, you act according to your values. Which values are you acting upon?
4. Highlight which of your current activities or ways of spending time align with these values
5. Prioritise these activities by creating clear allocated times for each activity
6. Honor your decision of what is important to you by respecting these time boundaries