One thing many of us want, especially during the warm summer days and the weeks of vacation or summer break, is simply to free up time so we can do more of what we really want to do.
So today I'll share three simple tips that have enabled me to find more time for myself to do so. I hope you will find these three tips helpful too to get more time out in the sun, to work on your book or blog, to play some Frisbee or just relax and take it easy.
1. Find out where your time is really going.
This is like when you are trying to lose fat. It's very easy to fool yourself and think you are doing "pretty good" when you in actually are not doing really that good. Thinking that you are doing "pretty good" won't get you're the results you want though. Actually doing what is needed gives you the results you want.
An easy way to stop fooling yourself in both cases is to use a log. If you are trying to lose fat, use Fitday.com to keep an eye on how much you are really eating.
If you want to find out where your time is going during a normal day (or even better, during a week) then create a simple time-log in a Word-document or something similar and simply type down notes about everything you are doing during a day.
I have for example found that I have spent too much time on browsing random personal development posts on various blogs over the last few months. I will cut that stuff down to a minimum to be able to have more time to relax and rejuvenate. And to keep up with the writing and other important stuff.
2. Realise that you don't have to do everything you do.
And that the sky might not fall if you do/don't do something. One thing that's stopping people from improving themselves or just finding time for themselves is all the things they "have" to do. You don't really have to do anything.
Try to look at it as you choosing what to do instead.
Of course, if you choose to do or not to do something there will be consequences. Sometimes big, sometimes small. Sometimes bad, sometimes good. Sometimes one thing disguised as the opposite.
But the point is to take control of your life and feel like you are choosing. Instead of having your world choosing and controlling your life. This makes it easier to find out what isn't really that important and eliminate or reduce to free up time for more interesting things.
You may also find it helpful to ask yourself questions like...
How can minimize the time I spend on doing this?
Can I eliminate doing this thing altogether with small or no negative consequences?
...when facing some task during your day.
3. Show up and just do it.
When you have found out what you are actually doing with your time and let go of some of the things you "had to do" then show up and just do the rest.
Instead of procrastinating, instead of thinking, instead of hoping someone else will do it or take an initiative, instead of rationalizing and inventing excuses for not doing something establish the habit of just doing it.
Most of the time you need to do it anyway sometime in the future and until you are more or less forced you'll just waste a lot of time procrastinating and thinking - and feeling bad - about having to do whatever you need to do. And if you wait for someone else to do something about it can take a lot of time before someone does so. Establishing this habit can be a bit difficult if you are used to thinking - or overthinking - a lot.
I still think you should think a bit. But after that it's most often just better to get up and go and do whatever you want to do.
I hope this email will help you to find more free time for yourself to spend as you wish this summer,
