Making Time for What Matters

I don’t have time right now”, “sorry I can’t, no time” or any variation of communicating that I need to devote my time to something else are both common to hear and easy words to say. The truth of the matter is there will always be something that needs to be cleaned at home, an email to answer, or a friend to catch up with.

There is always something that calls for your attention, the hardest part is figuring out what we want to use our time for each day.

We as a society in 2017 have a lot going on. We are constantly looking to explore, engage, and take on the world. On the flip side we are also working harder, Canada is in a two year low of keeping our unemployment rate at 6.6%. While more of us are working that also means more of us are at risk of getting overwhelmed at work, our technology has made us both efficient and always easy to reach. Being in constant communication has both positives and negatives, the major negative is that we lose our relaxation and recharging time. With work taking on more because we are always connected makes for less time for our valued activities.

Looking at our ICalendars, day planners and Google calendars says a lot about what kind of person you are, it tracks what we are making time for in our lives. Looking back at your schedules say 5–10 years from now you will be able to see exactly what you were spending your time doing and what your values looked like at that stage of your life.

Generally if we really look into our calendars and how we are allocating our time it will leave something to be desired. If we ask the question what would future me say about how I spent my time? Would they be proud of how much time is allocated to work or would they wish I had taken more time to focus on our family’s wellness?

Wellness Tips:
1. Do one thing you love every single day. Whether it is eating breakfast with your partner or reading a book.

2. Love your sleep. Sleep is a gift to your future self.

3. Explore the world by trying a new activity every month; giving yourself new experiences allows you to explore your world more.

5. Automate what you can; allow more time for what truly important to you.

6. Spend time with your loved ones; make it to every soccer game this year.