Take the Time Test

We have so much to do. Life is busy. There’s just no time.


Life can feel so rushed, so out of control sometimes. And the things we say are important end up taking a backseat to the things that must be dealt with. We get to the end of the day, the end of the month, the end of the year and wonder where the time went.


Here is a truth I want you to mull over: How you spend your time is a reflection of what’s important to you. Sure, you say you’d like to spend more time cooking, seeing friends or working on a project. But if you don’t, if you spend your time doing things other than those you declare are important to you, you’re just talking a good game.


It’s easy to put the things we say are important on the back burner and let life be the tail the wags the dog. But the true test of what’s important to you is how you spend your time right now.


So what is important to you? Make a list of the things that are important and then order them in priority. Your kids. Your mate. Your best friend. Work. Learning a new skill (what is it?). Finishing a project. Getting your debt paid off. Saving for a home. Preparing financially to start a family.


What are your priorities?


I like having time to think. I’m big on thinking. I’m a writer, an ideas girl. So if I don’t have time to think, I can’t write. And if I’m not writing, I actually ache.


When I was shooting Money Moron, the production schedule was so unbelievably tight I worked 7 days a week for about 3 months. It was hell. And I had no time to think, no time to write. I was whining to Alex, my daughter, just how crappy I was feeling. It was more than being tired. It was as if there was something huge missing from my life.


“When was the last time you wrote something?” she asked. Such a wise monkey, my daughter.


“I haven’t had time,” I said. The lights weren’t going off even though the question was very pointed.


“Haven’t I heard you say that writing is like breathing for you?” she asked.


“Ummm.”


“So you’re not breathing. Could that be why you feel so crappy?”


“Huh,” I said. “Yup, that could definitely be it.”


Think about your past week. Go and look at your calendar. How much time did you spend on the things you consider important? How much time did you give to your major priorities?


If you treat your time with little respect, if you allow your time to be wasted or focus your time on things that are not very important to you, ask yourself why. Why do you say ‘yes’ to attending an event when all you really want to do is read a book? Why do you agree to participate in a meeting when you’d rather finish a report you’ve been working on? Why do you erode time spent on your priorities for the sake of someone else’s priorities?


This is an actual exercise, something you should do to see how you use your time. There are so many books, courses, thoughts about how to better manage time when the most important step is to aware of how you’re currently using your time. Once you know that, you can take steps to rebalance so your time is your own.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on March 20, 2015 00:26
No comments have been added yet.


Gail Vaz-Oxlade's Blog

Gail Vaz-Oxlade
Gail Vaz-Oxlade isn't a Goodreads Author (yet), but they do have a blog, so here are some recent posts imported from their feed.
Follow Gail Vaz-Oxlade's blog with rss.