First things first, the image in this post is courtesy of Pam Corwin at Paper Scissors Rock. Pam has long inspired me with her creativity, generosity, humanity, wit and business acumen.
Myth: There’s never enough time.
Truth: Yes there is.
Here’s the gig – there’s always exactly enough time for what’s important.
The catch to this simple truth is twofold:
- We need to be clear and honest about what’s important to us.
- Then we probably need to make tough calls about how we choose to spend our time.
Simple and admittedly NOT easy.
I sure dance with these catches often.
How do make sure you’re spending your time on what’s important to you?
Lisa’s Cheap Therapy blog 
I know what you mean, Lisa. I catch myself often thinking “If I had time I’d meditate/workout/paint more” etc, etc…
But I have to remind myself that I choose my priorities and that I CAN skip watching Top Chef or noodling around Facebook to take meditate, work out or make art.
Every day, every moment is MY choice. When I find myself complaining over and over again that I don’t have enough time for something that I *say* I really want, it’s time to force myself to look in the mirror. Hey, I’m the one who manages my schedule, my choices and my time. And I know some of the things I choose to spend my time on don’t hold as much reward as the ones I make excuses about. It’s a really bad habit and unfortunately it’s a lesson I seem to have to keep learning over and over again. What is up with that?
Hi Lisa, it took me a while to learn how to but now I just love doing this. The housework is my favourite. At the moment it’s do I do the housework or do I do something creative in the garden while the sun shines. The housework will still be there when the sun has gone, the sun won’t necessarily be there when the housework is done. No contest! I’m in the garden. Then there is, do I do the housework or do I have the joy of entertaining and being entertained by Lexi, my 2 year old granddaughter. The housework will still be there when she has gone home but she will probably have gone home by the time the housework is done, no contest again! I could go on but best just to say, not a lot of housework gets done around here, it really isn’t that important.
Pam, what IS up with that? ~ha~ guess we’re just lucky to get to learn somethings over and over and over.
at least we’re trainable, eh? 🙂
Kate, you’re my kinda woman… as long as i can keep my home from looking like some kind of science experiment, i’m happy 🙂
thanks, ya’ll ~~~
I love the perspectives offered here… and I so agree with Kate! My dad has taught me to “not sweat the small stuff” and to remember that “it’s all small stuff”!!!
I do prefer to eliminate any mold before it becomes animate and keeping the dust bunnies to dust bunny as opposed to dust bear size, but outside of that cleaning is not a top priority.
and there is my son’s favorite of my cleaning decisions (borrowed from Erma Bombeck, I believe): I don’t mind if you draw or write in the dust, but PLEASE don’t date it! And of course, my dear son makes sure to date everything he draws in the dust! 🙂
” Time is interspersed with silence. Silently one day moves onward to the next. Each day appears unnoticed as if God had just put it down out of His own quietness. Silently the days move through the year. They move in the rhythm of silence: the content of the day is noisy, but the advent of the day is silent. ”
The seasons move in silence through the changing year. Spring does not come from winter, it comes from the silence from which winter came and summer and autumn.”
Time is accompanied by silence, determined by silence. Its quietness comes from the silence that is enclosed within it. But the sound of measurable time, the rhythmic beat of time, is drowned by the silence. ”
You’ve gotta love Picard.
Judi, remind me NOT to invite your dear son to my house ;). what a great story…
Pelican, “he content of the day is noisy, but the advent of the day is silent. ” YES and THANKS!
I SO relate to both Pam and Kate. There was something about passing that 50 year mark that made me more aware of my mortality and the limited amount of time left in which to make those choices. For quite a while after that point, I was actually thinking of time as my enemy, and we still seem to be at odds often; but I keep trying to remember to be in the moment and be as wise as I can in those choices. Also, Lisa, after being with you this past week, a certain phrase keeps going through my head …”all is well.” I think this will help to keep me from fretting (or worse yet—whining) when I’m guilty of not-so-wise choices! Thank you again and again for your generous, loving spirit!
ML, thank YOU. may we ALL fret/whine less and laugh/love more!
This is definitely something I need to think about more. Once, as part of a seminar, we had to make circle graphs of how our time was spent on a daily basis. There turns out to be huge gaps of “lost” time….usually spent on tv, internet, etc. Time’s our most valuable resource! I’m trying to use it more wisely.
Rachel, i send you LOUD cheers as you carry your clock in such a different way!