How many of you wished you had more time? 25 hours in a day? 48 hours in a day? But what if I tell you, no matter how much time you have, it will NEVER BE ENOUGH. I know it for a fact because I used to be perpetually busy. And when you ask me what I was busy with, there was never a definite answer. Well, I was basically busy with everything!
There was a never-ending pile of work I had to do, and I never had enough time to do what I wanted to do. As a highly curious soul, I easily get excited and wanted to embark and explore anything that seems remotely new or fascinating to me.
And so, I thought, if I were to quit my job and focus on what I enjoy doing, I will be happy, since I will have all the time in the world to do what I wanted. Right?
Wrong.
After quitting my job, I was still feeling as busy as ever. That was when I realised, not having enough time was never the main issue, there was something wrong with me.
If what I shared resonated with you, you might find what I realised about Time helpful. :D
Read on to find out!
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You are busy not when you have a never-ending amount of work, you are busy when you are trying to work on too many things at the same time. Do you find that every time you have free time, you end up with so many things to do that you rush through everything only to end up feeling unsettled at the end of the day? That was me.
So it is our business to stop busy-ness.
Because, truth is, no matter what you do, life will only get busier. If you have a mentality that you are always busy, like me, you will never have enough time for yourself and your goals. And what is worst is that, when you look back you will only remember you were busy and had no time, but never remembering what you were busy with.
So how can this busy-ness be stopped?
1. Know your end goal.
Understand what you are truly working towards. Sometimes we are busy because we are striving, working hard towards something. Sometimes this something may not be as apparent as you may think. For me, I am unsure of what my end goal is, therefore, I am unfocused, being busy and getting caught in anything that I believe is interesting.
To combat this and gain some clarity, sit down and take time to reflect- what is your ultimate end goal, what are you trying to achieve by doing so many things at the same time? You can identify that by trying to find out what all your actions have in common. For me, my busy-ness was largely related to reading, writing, and experiencing. The over aching theme of my interest was on personal development.
Next, ask yourself, why is that so important to me? For me, it was so that one day I can inspire the world. Once you know what is really important to you, start doing it.
Identifying your end goal/dream would keep you focused and allow you to channel your energy to the right areas of your life.
2. Prioritize
Knowing what you are working for, what is important to you, would also allow you to prioritize better. Knowing what you want will allow you to know clearlywhat is important and what is not. Something is important when it has a direct impact on your end goals.
Group your tasks according to the 4 quadrants below. Focus on what is important and urgent first. Then what is important and not urgent. Many people make the mistake of spending their lives focusing on what is urgent, and never getting down to what is really important.
People who have mastered their time know well enough to focus only on the important and leave out the rest. Meaning, you should only focus on tasks in the quadrants that have been circled.
People who have mastered their time know well enough to focus only on the important and leave out the rest. Meaning, you should only focus on tasks in the quadrants that have been circled.
If you find that most of your tasks fall into the urgent but not important category. It is a red flag. You are not making full use of your time in things that truly matter to you. Take a step back and reflect on what exactly is going on. Is it time for a career switch? Is it time to reevaluate some priorities in your life?
3. Do one thing at a time
You may pride yourself as an excellent multi-tasker, but you know what? Truth is, humans cannot multitask. So it would be better to do one thing at a time and give your fullest attention. This would give you the focus, and lets you do it well.
If you are lucky, you may even get into the state of Flow- a state of bliss. Instead of trying to juggle so many projects at once, doing this would make you feel more grounded and centered. However, remember to give yourself breaks. Our optimal attention span is about 45 mins- watch yourself and see how long you can last.
If you are lucky, you may even get into the state of Flow- a state of bliss. Instead of trying to juggle so many projects at once, doing this would make you feel more grounded and centered. However, remember to give yourself breaks. Our optimal attention span is about 45 mins- watch yourself and see how long you can last.
4. Be comfortable with doing nothing
It is nothing wrong with doing nothing! Do not feel guilty for not doing work. Life is sometimes an interesting paradox. Sometimes you have to let go of what you yearn most, to get it.
Think of a diver in need of air. No matter how dearly he wants to cling on to his last breath, he would have to let go of that breath to be able to float up to the surface for more air.
No matter how much you want to make use of every minute of your time, sometimes by letting go and letting time just pass, it is a good way to recharge and gain back mastery over your time.
Time you enjoy spending is not time wasted. Some people tend to pile themselves with work to make themselves feel productive and important. However, it does not always help because it will only lead to burn out and stress.
5. Be conscious of how you spend your time
To gain back control of your time you also have to be conscious of how you spend your time. Where did the bulk of your time go? Did you spend it on eating, hanging out with friends, planning for things but never actually doing it, or on Facebook? Then ask yourself whether this is contributing to your end goal, if it is not, probably it is time to curb these time-wasting behavior.
A Bonus Tip: An interesting phenomenon I noticed. Time is merely a perception. Whenever I consciously slow down, do things slowly, intentionally, and purposefully, I realised time actually slows down! The more I rush about, the faster time seems to pass me by.
The next time you feel overwhelmed, hectic, in a blur, take a deep breath, slow down, think you have all the time in the world, and this increased focus would allow time to slow down around you.
Let me know whether this works! Good luck! :D
Do not let lack of time get in the way of your ideal happy life! Hope these tips will help you combat some of your busy-ness! Do share any more strategies you may have in the comments box below :)
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