We give (or should give) our time to the things in life that matter most to us. In other words, the way we spend our time should be a reflection of our values and priorities.
Except when it’s not. Think about it…
If I were to ask you WHO the most important people in your life are, you could rattle them off rather quickly. Are these the people you spend the most time with?
Could you name the passions and interests that occupy your mind and fill your daydreams? How much time do you dedicate to these pursuits? Does the time allotted match the interest or importance?
Maybe yes…and maybe no.
Unfortunately, for all too many of us, our time is given to things, tasks, and even relationships that might not make even the top 5 spots on our list of priorities.
Typically, it’s not for a lack of clarity regarding our priorities or values. We know them…but how we spend our time doesn’t necessarily reflect them.
How could we let this happen?
- We are easily distracted.
At any given moment, many things are vying for our attention. Between professional projects, family matters, and extracurricular involvements, many of us are trying to keep a thousand plates spinning simultaneously.
This doesn’t even begin to touch on the influx of digital stimuli screaming for our attention every moment of every day.
In a day filled with one distraction after another, it becomes alarmingly easy to float from one moment to the next without considering: “Is this how I intended to spend my day today?”
- We lack poor time management skills.
Time management isn’t easy. As we’ve already established, most of us are exceedingly busy and are trying to function in a distraction-filled world. We default to taking care of “tasks” over action that moves us forward.
Managing this requires building a time management toolbox to help us keep the “first things first,” as Steven Covey would say. These skills might include planning ahead, setting reminder systems such as alarms and notifications to keep you on task, learning to outsource tasks, etc.
- We allow other people to take the driver’s seat in our lives.
This is a biggie. It’s amazing how often we allow the voices of others to dictate our schedules.
Your boss asks you to stay late for an important project, so you do. Your spouse needs you to run an extra errand on the way home. “Yes, honey,” is your response. Your mom needs your help volunteering for a church function, so you show up.
Before you know it, so much of your time has been filled with things that you didn’t plan to do, and these tasks reflect the values of other people more than your own. Do this for too long, and you can negatively affect your self-perception and attitudes.
So…where do we go from here?
If this has got your wheels turning and you’re ready to start making steps toward truly aligning your schedule with your values, I invite you to join the SandBoxx! In our online virtual community, we’ll share ways to identify key values and priorities and better manage our time.
PS – What question would you ask the mythical “Time Wizard” if you had the chance?
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
