Are you working your tail off at your business and then working your tail off to make all the family ‘fun’ commitments and ‘joyous’ celebrations? What if neither left you with your butt worked off?
I took a few days off for an extensive road trip to wish my aunt a happy 40th anniversary, spend time with my mom, and see my awesome incredible cousins. They are my heart and I love them tons. The many hours on the road gave me a lot of time to think about my days, and how I spend it and how I want to spend it, and why I’m not spending my day like I want. So going forward, I am designing my time to optimize joy, without joy and love, what’s the point?
We’ve gotten to the point where “I’m so busy” is no longer a badge of honor to flash around at everyone of your importance. It’s becoming an illness. But thankfully we can take back our time and still do all our duties. We just don’t have to do everything ‘so hard’. All it takes is some magic fairy dust.
I am happy to tell you, magic fairy dust is ours for the taking. Keep reading.
We really can trim some of the ‘fat’ from our work days and have a more fulfilling (and productive) day. I have read a few books recently about doing exactly this, the most to the point is probably Timothy Ferriss’s The 4-Hour Work Week. I highly recommend it and a notebook as well.
How much time in a day can you save if you only check your email twice a day? Try it out then give me all the excuses as to why it won’t work. My point is that we can always very easily kill time and barely even notice that we were doing it. Don’t even get me started about Facebook newsfeeds. Chrome has a number of add-ons that you can install to either limit time on social media, or block a newsfeed (so you only get alerts and still have access to any groups you may need to get to). Brilliant, right? Those alone have saved me a few hours each day. What if you only checked your phone twice a day? I would probably add 8 hours to may day by not doing that (guilty)! I double dog dare you to turn off all alerts! Hey, it’s not like I asked you to shut off your phone (the horror).
By cutting out my social media during work hours, only getting distracted by email twice a day, and skipping meetings (and getting notes of anything important, which usually are summed up in a post-it), I’ve cleared out HOURS for downtime.
There is a backlash to getting more time, however. The first few days I had to adjust my thinking. “I have nothing to do, I should be doing something, it’s ‘work time’ of day,” and then would proceed to do meaningless tasks to fill the time. STOP. Maybe go take a nap, or go for a walk. You’ll quickly adjust to the fun free time.
Just think of the delicious things you can do for yourself now, with all that time. By filling up your emotional rest reservoirs (aka getting in some ‘you’ time), you’ll have an abundance to give to your friends and family. It’s nothing short of a super easy answer to a painful problem this time of year. Just say ‘no’ and the world generally will adapt just fine (in most cases, if you’re an ER doctor, please say yes to that trauma victim. Thank you!).
Time, beautiful, delicious time. More time to connect, more time to discover, more time to rest (and heal!), more time to create. Let me know what you change in your day to create more space and time.
Of course, you’re always welcome to come into my Denver studio and spend some quality time together with your most loved friend, spouse, child, parent while I create a custom session for you and make you all feel like Vanity Fair cover models. Get time now, and call for a consultation.
Now I’ll stop typing and show you some of my favorite relationship photographs. Whether it’s “you” time or with time with someone you love, it’s special and precious time.
Happy Holidays!
