Before your day officially begins, do you feel your anxiety building up? Do you wonder how you ended up with so much on your plate? Are you unable to say “no” to people? Do you try to tackle things, but everything feels like it is equally important? Do you constantly try to satisfy the expectations of others?
We all have 168 hours in one week. In theory, this seems like more than enough time to accomplish all we need to accomplish. Procrastination, however, is usually easy to spot. Especially when you’re watching TV, texting, binging on Netflix, checking your email all-day, scrolling through social media or staring at your phone for hours.
Instead of saying, “I don’t have the time,” start saying, “It’s not a priority” and see how that feels. Simply changing the wording can be a reminder that how we spend our time is truly is a choice.
Try substituting…
• I don’t have time to go to the doctor vs. my health is not a priority.
• I don’t have time to help my children with their homework vs. it’s not a priority to help them.
• I don’t have time to exercise vs. it’s not a priority for me to get into shape.
• I don’t have time to go college vs. college isn’t my main concern.
Sometimes, these explanations are perfectly reasonable and sometimes they’re not. That is for you to decide. Sometimes the truth is that the thing on your plate is just not important enough for you to want to do it. If saying something is not a priority and it doesn’t sit well with you, it might be time to reprioritize.
How we CHOOSE to use our time determines what we have the time to do. We find the time for whatever we want to do the most.
If you truly want to grow, whether it’s starting at the gym, learning a new skill, or starting therapy, then make certain it becomes a priority at the cost of something less important.
Realizing that you decide how to prioritize your time instantly changes your mindset from an excuse to an opportunity. You become accountable for how you utilize your time.
You have all the time you need. You always have. You simply have to decide how you want to use it. Every minute is your choice.
Carrie
