20 Valuable Steps You Can Take To Create More Time For Yourself

1 October, 2016

Do you ever get the feeling when you wake up that you could have achieved more yesterday? You find yourself each morning with the drive to make the most of the day ahead but seem to always run out of time to do all the things you planned to do?

You are not alone; everyone wants more time. We can’t add more hours to the day, but we can manage our time better. Listed below are practical suggestions on how to create more time and ultimately make the most of your day.

20 valuable steps you can take to create more time for yourself

1. Get clarity on what matters most to you and let go of what you ‘think you should be doing’. Eliminate the hustle and stress of trying to get everything done at once.

2. Set your daily goals in-line with your values. You will be more focussed to use your time to achieve what matters most.

3. Set 3 intentions for the day – only. Writing a long to-do list is a distraction and ultimately can leave you feeling deflated at the end of the day or week if we do not tick everything off.

4. Each evening take 10 minutes to schedule the next day. By including both lifestyle and work activities you will be able to clearly see the time available to you.

5. Use 90-minute time slots. Work and lifestyle activities always end up taking longer than originally thought or intended. By creating time slots you are giving your self time to get through daily tasks rather than rushing from one job/activity to the next.

6. Wake up 2 hours before you go to work or have to attend your first meeting. Use this extra time to exercise, have breakfast, meditate, read…

7. Plan meetings around your lunch break not the other way around. Use this time to check-in with the intentions you set at the start of the day to help you keep focussed and motivated during the afternoon.

8. Cut social media and internet usage time by half. Yes you’ve heard it before and maybe you have even tried it. It works – focus on what really matters, check in with your values and intentions.

9. Stop comparing yourself. We all have the girl or guy in the office who seems to ‘do and have it all’. So what?! Comparing yourself to others is wasted energy. Use this time to focus on what matters to you, again refer to those intentions.

10. Eat healthy whole food carbohydrates. This helps you maintain energy levels throughout the day. Choose rolled oats for breakfast, quinoa, brown rice and sweet potato for lunch and dinner. Here is a super delicious sweet potato bread recipe by Smith St Paleo, to help maintain good energy levels.

11. Keep hydrated. Drink 1.5-2 litres of water throughout the day to help you keep feeling your best.

12. Laugh everyday. Getting caught up with to many things to do you can forget about the big picture. Laughing releases a bunch of happy hormones, helping us release stress. Use this time to reset, recharge and focus on what matters.

13. Stop overthinking the little things. By spending time ‘thinking’ about if you should go to the gym/ make dinner/ take a rest, you are wasting ‘doing’ time. If you have the thought ‘should I go to the gym?’ the answer will also be yes, just go and do it.

14. Use motivational images and quotes. Having your values and goals in places you see them each day provides accountability for you to keep focussed on what you have set out to do.

15. Focus on consistent small steps. If you have set yourself a goal to achieve something challenging, focus on the most important step each day that will take you closer to achieving it.

16. Make rest and sleep a priority. Avoid burn-out and wake up feeling energized by prioritising your sleep and rest time.

17. Say no sometimes. Living a life in-line with your values will make you feel better about yourself in extraordinary ways, however there will be sacrifices. Sometimes you will need to say no to friends, family and work.

18. Ask for support. Your goals will require you to learn new skills to be successful, make the most of the people around (friends, family, your community and the experts in the field) who are already doing (or have previously done) what you are striving for.

19. Stop being hard on yourself. Setbacks are part of nature, focus on what changes you can make to be more productive and successful next time and move on.

20. Have an accountability partner. Share you values and goals with someone who cares about your health and wellbeing. Arrange to check in with them every 2 weeks to help you stay focussed on you values and goals.

The one thing we all have in common as human beings is we all have the same amount of hours in the day. Good time-management is essential for success in any element of your life. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires you to be able to create the time in your day/week/month/ year for long-term good health.

Health coaching supports you in overcoming the barriers holding you back to achieving your full potential, including helping you develop good time-management strategies to help you make the most of each day. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of working with a health coach contact Heidi here heidi@heidijonescoaching.com

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