Welcome Back
Thank you so much for joining in our Sadness Diet and the journey to happier times.
Feedback from Yesterday
I hope yesterday you took on board some of the tips on how not to be discouraged especially when things happened unexpectedly.
Today: How to Make the Most of your Time – by Jay Lickus
Time is our most valuable resource. If we learn how to control and use it wisely, we will maximize our output both spiritually and financially.
When we feel that we don’t have enough time to do things, it can cause us sadness and frustration.
Each of us has a bank. It's name is TIME.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Every night it writes off what you have failed to invest. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back.
Invest it so as to improve get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of life today.
Make time to plan. Use 30 minutes a day to plan how you are going to use your time. If you don’t, you will find yourself running around in circles wasting time. I prefer to use 15 minutes in the morning to set my priorities for the day and 15 minutes at night to set my goals for tomorrow and beyond if needed.
Remember there are always 1,440 minutes in each day. They do not vary from day to day. If you understand that, you can map out a plan for using them wisely. Appreciate and accept that some of these minutes will be used systematically day-in and day-out for essential tasks (work, calls, etc.), others for personal needs (exercise, relaxation, etc.), and yet others to service physical requirements (eating, sleeping, etc.). It is how you use the remaining minutes that make the difference in your emotional and financial well-being.
Include “Energy Management” with your “Time Management.” You can be the best planner ever and have every minute of the day packed with essential tasks, but if you don’t have the energy to complete them properly then it’s all for nothing. Prioritize and plan in time segments that you can handle physically. Don’t wear yourself out.
Tackle top priorities first. They may not be the most pleasant, but they are the most important, so engage them when you are the most physically rested and mentally alert.
Stay focused. Don’t get distracted by everything that is shiny around you. Constantly remind yourself of the task you are working on at hand. Carry a short list with you on a “post-it” note as a visual reminder. With everything that is going on in the world around us it is very easy to get distracted.
Try to touch things only once. Trust your intuition when making decisions, especially on those choices that are not top priorities. Negotiate the task you are working on and complete it before moving on.
Learn to say “NO.” Remember, every time you say “yes” to a request, you are in fact saying “no” to something else. Time is yours to use so don’t let someone else use it up for you. You will be surprised how easy it is to deflect non-essential requests for your time by others. Simple things like keeping your door shut while working on priority tasks, not answering the phone, and letting people know that you are too busy will help you find more time for yourself.
Slow down and think. I know this sounds counterintuitive to what I am asking you to do in tip #6, but many times it is important to catch your breath before making a decision. Don’t make rash or emotionally-charged decisions. A few minutes clearing your mind, analyzing the situation, and weighing your options will lead to better decisions and less wasted time.
Visualize your outcome. Before making a decision or choosing a course of action, start with the ending in mind.
Delegate and outsource. Don’t be afraid to let others do things for you. Look at your “to do” list and rather than asking yourself “How do I get this task completed?” ask instead, “How can this task be completed?” It’s a simple change of semantics, but it takes the burden off your shoulders of having to complete every task yourself. Look for help — it’s out there.
I know this is not rocket science, but if you feel like I do, then you understand the importance of using your remaining time on this planet wisely.
Activity – Plan how you spend your time so you will have time to rest and energy to do the things you love.
Step 1
Sit down and write down how you typically spend a week.
Step 2 – Review How You Spend Your Time
Go through the list again and see if how you are spending your times matches with what you want out of life.
This year my priority is to have more quality family life and also to spend more time socialising with friends, family and doing the things I really love.
When I first completed my list, I was really shocked that I spent a lot of time last year just running around trying to please others, because when people ask me to do things I would just say "yes" without thinking.
Their have been times when I have double-booked and I find myself running from one event to the other, and considering I don’t have a car,
I spent a lot of my money paying too much in fares and sometimes when I had no money I have had to walk to events to volunteer and then walk back home with my tired self, and then having to do my motherly duties when I got home.
I realise this is not good for my health and I have had to learn to say no without feeling guilty. It is good to help others when we can, but we must make sure we don’t suffer from burn out!
Step 3 – Make a New Plan for Your Week Taking into Account Your Priorities in Life
I find this easier to do if I have a diary – so I have a monthly diary which I keep in the house and it helps me to see what I am doing on a monthly basis. I also use different coloured pens to distinguish various activities such as:- 'me time', time with children, family and friends, housework and cooking, sleeping.
My me times is so important as during that time I can pray, meditate, relax, go to the gym, and do things that make me feel good.
Step 4 – Now You Have a New Plan, Try to Stick To It.
Sometimes, things may not go according to plan, but that’s OK as it is part of life. Just try as much as you can to stick to your plan making adjustments when necessary.
Note to Self! (Get Others to Help You)
If you have other people in your home, you have to remember to delegate tasks to everyone depending on their age you alone cannot do it all.
I know a lady who complains that her husband does not help her at all with the housework, and this is really from the onset of their marriage she decided to do everything and even when the husband tried to do things, she will always complain that he did not do it right!
As a single parent it can be tough on me to do all I want to do, so from an early age I had the children helping me out, and now they are teenagers it is such a blessing for me to go out and leave them to do their chores and even make their own snacks, and iron their own clothes.
Time Bank
Each of us has a bank. It's name is TIME.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off what you have failed to invest.
If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. Invest it so as to improve get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of life today.
To realise the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realise the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realise the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realise the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realise the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
To realise the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
Each moment in a day has its own value - morning brings Hope, afternoon brings faith, evening brings love…. and night brings rest…
Instant Feel Good
Sit down
Breathe in slowly and Breathe out Slowly ( do this a couple of times)
Breathe in slowly and then laugh out loud slowly (do this a couple of times)
Say – I am so grateful and happy to be alive to see another day.
Think and focus on something that makes you feel happy or my favourite “wake up I feel happy boom, boom, I feel like dancing around boom boom, and now I am dancing line no one’s watching boom, boom”
Smile – Just spend a few seconds smiling, and then I want you to give out a couple of big laughs (hahaha)
Get your Gift of a smile box, and make use of the items as you continue to feel good and smile
See you tomorrow and may the SMILE always be with you!
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