You Have All The Time You Need

"I don't have enough time!"

This is the most common complaint I hear. Not just in coaching, or my interest in self-development, but in everyday life.

I notice what people complain about. I notice what people brag about. I notice what people talk about in general. Not having enough time is the most common excuse, if you like. I like helping people with coaching, and it's always easy to read someone else, don't you agree?

Now, how can we look at this issue of time?

The most common complaint of, "I don't have enough time" is often used to refer to something we say we really want. Think of the classic wail of, "I don't have enough time to exercise".  I say I want to read more, though I don't use the term, "I don't have enough time". My self-dev teaching has convinced me that I have all the time I need, and I choose how I spend it. But still, I haven't done a lot of things I wanted to do in the last year. You don't have to be Anthony Robbins to respond with, "Of course you have enough time! You're just choosing to do something else with it."

Now I'm asking myself why I didn't do certain things, and declaring that I will do them in 2013.

If I were coaching someone, I would say, "Well, it wasn't that important to you. If it was important, if you really wanted to do something, you allow the time for it." For example, I don't need to "allow" time to spend with my kids (I'm with them all the time they are not at school, except for their occasional "play dates"). But I didn't book a couple of appointments I "should" have. I want to keep spending time with my kids, and keep a lot of other activities I am already doing, but some things simply have to go to make room for the new.

Time to prioritise for 2013, and start new habits for efficiency.

I'm not the first person to say, "Now, where did that year go?".

It's amazing how the years fly by, isn't it? I know this is the most overused saying, up there with the inaccurate use of the word, "literally" (don't get me started on that one), but I have to say it to make my point.

We all agree that 2012 just flew by. As Basil Fawlty said in one of his, "Fawlty Towers" episodes (with all his hilarous animations); "What was that? That was your life. Do I get another one? No, that was it."
That is brilliant.
Thank you Basil. You only get one life. Make the most of it.
I really revved up my interest in self-development (improving my life in all areas), and helping others do the same, after the age of 40.
There's nothing like a milestone birthday to motivate you to do all the things you want to do.
I'm really into making positive change (for myself and others) to live your best life (another very common saying now).
I also say that if you're happy the way you are, that's great too.
Make sure you're doing what's important.
Spend your precious time doing what you love to do, with people you feel good around.
I expand on this point in my books, and note that there are 'mundane' jobs to do. Yes, we all have them, but we choose our overall lifestyle, career, and companions.

Do what makes you feel good. I notice how good I feel, when I have done something I've been putting off, or that is meaningful, and I wonder why I hadn't done it sooner.

So what does one do when one feels, "I don't have enough time"?

Here's my solution - We all have 24 hours a day. If we haven’t “got time” for something, we need to stop doing something we are already doing (that we’re not getting value from), to replace it with the new action we will get value from. Simple change. Who wants to do this? I do. I say a sacrifice (the giving up of something of lesser value), is a good move to something more valuable.

On New Years Eve, my besties and I wrote out our top 5 goals for 2013 (great suggestions N). We shared them. This is exactly what I suggest doing in my own coaching program (writing them down, saying them out loud and sharing them with someone are 3 very powerful ways to create them). We did our top 5, then added a bonus goal (as we got new ideas from each other). I wrote down a further 5 on New Year's day. We are all adding to our lists.  Other than the big one of "Publishing my first book", I have included my desire to read more. I could choose to read a book rather than do various other activities.

So perhaps that is our biggest challenge. Deciding what to keep and what to purge. As my bestie "N" calls it,  a "Lifestyle De-clutter".  This goes for items in your house that you no longer want or need, clothing, activities, and even people. Especially people. Think of the people who drain your time and energy.
Life is precious people. I'm not the first person to say this, nor the first person to coach others to their best life.  But if you agree with me and want to learn my ways to a more fulfilling life, please keep reading my blog.

In my new coaching program that begins today, I included my theory on letting go of something to add something desired. If you're not sure what it is you need to give up, take note of what you're spending your time on. You may be surprised if you haven't really taken notice before.

It's amazing that the desire you "don't have time for" (reading meaningful books) is so much more valuable than what you're currently doing (for me, too much shopping).

Oh, and one of my goals is to design and develop my blog, stay tuned. Will need to let go of something to fit that in  - one (or two) less trips to the shopping centre for me. Yes, I can still shop, but I can seriously tone it down. Here's to more reading/publishing/socialising (and whatever it is for you), and less on other less meaningful activities.

Can you please do 2 things for me - say and believe, "I have all the time I need to do all that is important to me".

Then please leave a comment with one of your changes if you'd like to share. If you commit to something, you'll get there quicker.

Come on, I did :-)