How do you create more time? Isn’t that truly the miracle question we all find ourselves asking? We each have 24 hours in a day, yes even Beyoncé & Oprah. And yet, when you look around, you notice that everyone’s life looks so different. A big factor in the look and quality of a person’s life is how they choose to spend their time.
I may not have the super power to grant you three more hours in your day, but I do have a secret that will get help you create more time in your day for the things you actually want to be doing. Can I hear an “Amen” for that?!
As human beings many of us are struck with the, “I want to do all the things!” mentality. Yes! I love hearing that. I love that because it means we are trying new things, we are experiencing life, and we are in many cases serving others. In most cases all those things we want to spend our time on are all “good” things, but have you ever thought that there might just be too much of a good thing?
“Hold please, did you say too much of a good thing?”
Yes, you betcha, I did! It took the sweet, Midwest Minnesotan in me way too much time to realize that, yes, it is possible to have too much of a good thing.
Think about it for a minute, if we have too much of a rich, delicious, triple chocolate cake or half of a pecan pie in one sitting, what happens? We get tired, we get exhausted, and we get sick. That same concept applies when we do too many “good” things. We wear ourselves out, we get tired, and in some cases we get sick.
How do we slow down and cut back on all of these really good things happening in our life and business? How do we create more time in our life? Are you ready for this? Its one simple word that will change your whole world when you start utilizing it consistently, it’s boundaries. Yes, boundaries. I know you’ve heard that word before, but have you actually established and written out your personal and professional boundaries? It changes your whole world because before when you used to feel guilty about saying no to things, instead you now can say no with pure, genuine intention and you leave the guilt behind when you say it from a boundary focused life.
That’s not to say boundaries are easy to create and to stick to in our life. It takes a sincere practice each and every single day. A boundary is simply what’s okay and what’s not okay in your life and business. Too many times we don’t set boundaries and we let people in our lives get away with things that are not okay and then that leads to us being resentful towards that person. By setting boundaries, you may not appear as sweet as you used to be to others, but in most cases because of established boundaries you are for more loving and compassionate than you ever used to be.
Here’s what you need to know about setting boundaries in your life if it’s something you’ve never done before.
Step 1: Determine what’s not okay for other’s to do in your life.
Example: People may NOT take their own frustrations out on me.
Your Turn: People may NOT______________________________________________.
Step 2: Determine what you need to give yourself permission to do.
Example: I have a right to ask for NO interruptions during my morning meditation.
Your Turn: I have a right to ask for______________________________________________.
Step 3: Determine how you protect your time and energy.
Example: To protect my time and energy, it’s okay to take my time returning calls, texts, and emails when they are not urgent.
Your Turn: To protect my time and energy, it’s okay to _______________________________________.
Step 4: Communicate your specific boundaries to the people in your life that need to know them. This helps mitigate frustrations, misunderstandings, and resentment.
Step 5: Make a list of all your boundaries that you want to practice on a regular basis in your life & business for the next month. Post them by your desk, in your kitchen, or on your mirror as a daily reminder until they become a habit.
Being self aware and setting boundaries are the most important first steps we can do towards taking back our time and being more intentional about working rest & recharge moments into our life. As you begin to explore what boundaries you want to establish in your life, you may feel a sense of guilt making yourself a priority in your own life again. To overcome this, recognize and face your guilt head on. Make the choice to view your guilt as a sign that you are on the right track towards creating your best & happiest life!
