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Do you have More than Enough Time?

Do you feel rushed, constantly under pressure and anxious because you consistently experience a lack of time?

Most people would admit that their ability to manage time leaves them feeling a little crazy. No matter how they try to manipulate their schedules at work or at home, there never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done.

How would you feel if I were to tell you that there is a way out of this craziness and that is has nothing to do with learning a new, super-duper time management technique? Would you be interested?

It really is quite simple. Apply the points listed below in as many areas of your life as you can and you will begin to experience a sense of freedom and inner peace that you would never before have thought possible.

1. Stop managing your time!

Why? Because time simply cannot be managed. Yes you heard right. You cannot manage your time. All that you can manage are your attitudes, beliefs, choices and actions within the context of time.

You may think that I am just splitting hairs here – and believe me I am not. To think that you have control of anything outside of yourself is doing yourself a huge disservice. You only have control over what you believe, think, say and do - and that is where you can begin to make huge changes in your life.

Time, in and of itself, does not mean anything. It is only a limited reference point from which to determine your level of ‘being’. To the degree that you manage what you choose to believe, think and do, is the degree to which you will feel either stress or peace towards your experience of time.

2. Stop trying!

You either “do” something or you “don’t”. There literally is no such thing as “try”. If you don’t believe me, do this simple exercise. First lift you hand above your leg. Now ‘try’ to put it on your leg. Come on. Try harder! You can do it if you really give it your best try!

You couldn’t do it could you? Now, “put” your hand on your leg. See how easy that was? Your hand is now on your leg because you did a direct action. “Trying” to do something is a ‘no-mans’ land between inaction and action. We either do or we don’t. By stating that you will ‘try’ to do something gives you an ‘out’, and basically allows you the opportunity to be irresponsible and unaccountable for your actions. If you really want to make positive changes in your life, think about the choices you have, make a decision and then do it.

3. Stop ‘shoulding’!

If you were to cut out 50% of what you think you “should” do, you would have more than enough time for everything that you “want” and actually “need” to do. How much of your life do you live in obligation to others and in fear of what others may think or feel? Doing what ‘you think’ ‘they think’ you should do, is simply a time waster and a detrimental way of thinking.

If you choose to do something because helping another person you care about brings you pleasure - terrific. If you do things because you feel too obligated to say ‘no’, you are betraying yourself and the sense of peace you could be feeling in regards to time.

If you have difficulty with this and you find that ‘yes’ is an automatic response, even when you want to say ‘no’, begin by telling people, “Let me think about it”. This will give you the time to really think about whether it is something you truly feel good about doing, or if it something you think you ‘should’ do. People will appreciate you more when you say ‘yes’ and really mean it.

4. Stop running on empty!

When your gas tank is always at least half full, you never have to worry about running out of gas. How many times, just when you were already running late for an appointment, have you had to stop for gas along the way and make yourself even later? If you make the habit of filling up your tank when you notice that it is nearing half full, you will never have to experience this again.

The same holds true for every other area of your life. This concept is known as ‘building reserves’. If you have a reserve of daily household products, food, water and other necessities, you will never have to worry about running out or making an extra stop to the store at a time that is inconvenient to you. Just think how your life could change if you had a reserve of money, a reserve of friends, a reserve of business associates, and a reserve of_________ (you fill in the blank)? If you stop running on empty in every area of your life, you will begin to replace feelings of pressure and stress with feelings of peace and security.

5. Stop over-committing!

No matter how good your intentions are, if you over-commit yourself, you are playing a ‘lose-lose’ game. You will feel resentful and pressured and whomever you have committed something to will not get everything that they had expected.

Instead, play a ‘win-win’ game by learning to “under-promise” and “over-deliver”. If you under-promise what you know you can deliver, you will be able to do so with a sense of ease that leaves everyone happy. And, if time permits, and you are actually able to over-deliver on what you have promised, you will have practiced incredibly good will and will have played an even greater game of ‘win-win’.

Get in the habit of promising about 50% of what you know you can deliver. This will give you a lot of leeway if something unforeseen comes your way, and will still allow you more than enough time to deliver what you have promised. Then if you are able to over-deliver, it is simply icing on the cake!

Remember only you have the power to change your experience with time. You can feel as if it controls you and that you never have enough of it, or, you can realize that you are the one who is truly in the driver’s seat, and that the choices, decisions and actions you make will ultimately determine the degree of stress or peace you feel. You can have more than enough time for everything in your life. The choice is yours. What do you choose?

"You don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great." – Les Brown

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© Cheri Baumann, Your Life Strategist, Personal Development Coach & Trainer .
Life Coach - Life Coaching at www.MyPrivateCoach.com
Cheri Baumann is the Life Strategist and Personal Development Coach at MyPrivateCoach: Life Coach. She can be contacted at info@myprivatecoach.com.
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