There Just Isn’t Enough Time!
Feeling the holiday crunch? I think we all are. It doesn’t seem to matter whether you get really involved in holiday celebrations or not, either. Just making a trip to the grocery store takes more time because of the crowds. Often, with so many people feeling harried and hurried, we can pick up on the energy and it creates the feeling of agitation in us also.
How do we stop this type of insanity and stay on an even keel? Here are few tips:
Don’t carry your “to do list” in your head. When we have a lot of things on our mind and add in the things to do, we typically run the tape over and over of all that must be done. This repetitious thinking will make it seem as if our we have a lot more to do than we really do. Getting the items out of our head and onto paper relieves this and allows for an analytical process to begin.
After listing out all those things from your head, look over your items and mark each one with a “N” for Need to do and a “W” for Want to do. Be honest here. You’ll find that, as the proverb says, “your wants are many and your needs are few.” Take care of those must do items and then you can decide which ‘wants’ you will focus on.
Schedule in down time. Seriously. A lot of stress comes from the constant motion of doing. I know that you are thinking: “I don’t have time to stop and do nothing!” TAKE the time. Just sitting quietly for 5-minutes will do wonders to clear your mind and calm you. This is not time to review your list or make a new one. This is time to just be. If you have trouble quieting your mind, then concentrate on gratitude. Start thinking of a spiral. Begin with the first thing that comes to mind that you can be grateful for as the center of this spiral. With each progressive impression of gratitude, work along the coiled spiral in an upward and outward pattern. You’ll find yourself relaxing into this process more and more as you spend time with it.
The real benefits from these two tips come afterward. When you are relaxed, you are more energetic, creative, and productive. All these lead to better decision making and eventually, more profit and joy in you business and your personal life.
The only person in your life who holds the keys to living a life that’s fulfilling and joyful is you. If you stay running in the wheel and never get off to see where you are and what you have, things will always seem to be overwhelming. Slow down and you’ll find that you will go further and faster than you thought. It’s kind of backwards sounding, but try it, you’ll see it works!
Lesley V. Ingves
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