Many of us would like to have more hours in our day to do things that will increase our sense of pleasure and satisfaction with life. Of course, that is impossible. Remember how computers were to save us time, so we could do other things. For many of us, the work day has lengthened in the last five years, not shortened. Even with all of the time saving devices at home, we find ourselves often unable to keep up with everything there is to do.
If you are finding it hard to do things that increase your satisfaction with life, the following strategies may help you be happier with how you use the time you have:
- Value your time, and do the things that are most important to you. Make sure they are compatible with your values and goals.
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Choose priorities by assigning and “A” to all things that need to be done by your today. Give a “B” to the things that could be done by you or someone else and/or put off for another day. Give a “C” to the things that have to be delegated to someone else, and a “D” to things that never have to be done but you would like to do them someday.
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Make a plan for your day the night before; it only needs to take five to ten minutes.
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Make a list if it helps you order your day.
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Allow for the unexpected by giving yourself extra time to get to where you need to be. If you arrive early, you have time to relax or plan for tomorrow while you are waiting.
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Keep one week end free of commitments a month by saying “no” to some things.
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If you know what your strengths are, use one or more of them to transform a boring task into something more interesting and/or satisfying.
Action Step: Choose one of the above suggestions that suits your personality and actually do it for 3 weeks. Then evaluate if you have more balance in your life. Notice if you feel happier.
To Your Success,
Maurine
