Be Intentional With Your Time

You’ve probably heard the saying: We all have the same 24 hours. And while that’s true, what varies greatly is how we think about time and choose to use our own 24 hours.

It’s easy to let hours, days, and weeks go by and wonder where the time went. We’ve all done this, and I don’t know about you, but I feel unsatisfied when I let this happen. I prefer to feel accomplished and relaxed.

I've also had the experience of feeling victimized by time – like there’s not enough, and it’s out of my control.

But as I get older, how I think about time has shifted from something that passes or occurs or that there’s never enough of it to something I can use to create experiences, do good work, learn new things, and enjoy myself. This shift in thinking has led to a whole new outlook that has helped me craft my life in specific ways.

If you, too, want to design your life so you can meet your goals and have experiences you enjoy, you’ll need to be intentional about how you use your time. You’ll also need to factor in your priorities. 

Here are three places to start:

1. Evaluate your chores. If you’re getting up in the morning and not using your most productive time for what’s most important — and instead doing what you think you should be doing, like making the bed or doing the dishes or folding the laundry —  it’s time to actively look for tasks that can be eliminated or tightened up.
   
   For example, are you wasting time going to the grocery store multiple times a week instead of once? Or spending time ironing cloth napkins instead of replacing them with an iron-free type? Small things add up. Do what’s most important in your life first and do the rest later.
   
   
2. Examine your habits. Look at the times when you get up and go to bed. Can you make an adjustment that would work in your favor?
   
   Review your systems for storing your belongings. Are you wasting precious time daily by looking for your keys or phone? Are you mind-numbingly scrolling on your phone for 30 minutes at lunchtime? Where can you give yourself the feeling of adding time to your day?
   
   
3. Watch your language. If you’re constantly telling yourself or complaining out loud that you don’t have enough time, you are contributing to the problem. Mindset plays a huge role in how we experience the time we have. So, instead of noticing the time you don’t have, start celebrating the time you’ve spent in ways that bring you joy or get you closer to a goal. Acknowledge your wins out loud by telling a friend or family member. It might seem silly, but you’ll be reinforcing your new beliefs.
   
   

Family and friends have scolded me over the years, thinking that my house should be more organized or my laundry shouldn’t pile up. Those comments used to get in my way.

But now I know I’d rather go for a bike ride with my husband than have a perfect house; I’d rather have a successful business than a job. I’m sure there are things you’d rather have too.  Changing how you approach time is not easy, but it is worth the effort.

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