It’s About Time
I’ve had time to do some really fun things over the past few days. I took time to visit a local farm and see all the new spring babies, like pigs, goats, and sheep. I naturally dyed Easter Eggs with my daughter. I took a yoga class with my husband. I slow roasted tomatoes for bruschetta, but first stuffed them with garlic, and drizzled them with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. I stretched my legs and had a little nap on the deck to enjoy the new spring weather. Last night I made a butternut squash risotto even though it took almost an hour to cook (with constant stirring). I even had time to exercise for an hour every day, and do my work.
While I still struggle with time some days, usually I do things that I love, accomplish a little less and end each day rested, satisfied and happy about how I spent my time. Compared to how I used to wake up groggy and collapse into bed each night, this is a big improvement.
In the past, time was my biggest excuse and obstacle for really enjoying life. Do you often find yourself saying things like…
If I had time I would _______________________.
I wish I had time to _______________________.
With more time I could have _________________.
Time is our greatest limited resource. There are only 24 hours in a day, and after sleeping, working, checking email and taking care of things, you are lucky if there is one left just for you.
Real Simple magazine recently commissioned a survey on women and time and here is what they found out.
- 52% of women have less than 90 minutes of free time a day.
- 29% have less than 45 minutes a day.
- Cleaning is the chore that women would most like to eliminate (no surprise there)
I thought that jobs must be the reason that people have no time, but in the survey more than 2/3 say their jobs don’t interfere with their personal life.
I don’t know how closely this survey relates to real world women and men, but I think it’s safe to say that most of you feel short on time. I don’t believe in work/life balance, or really balance at all unless you are on a yoga mat or doing hand stands. Finding more time is not about creating balance, it’s about focusing on the essential. It’s about doing less crappy things and more amazing things.
If you are overextended and dealing with a jam-packed schedule, you need more time. Tammy Strobel and I are going to show you how to make it. Our next course from Your Lovely Life is all about identifying how you spend and often waste time, and how to intentionally spend time doing things you love.
If you’ve ever wished for more hours in the day or felt frustrated that you couldn’t do it all, this course is for you. You’ll receive course contents that will include…
- Weekly modules with inspiring articles, instructive lessons, video presentations, and homework assignments
- Audio interviews with experts
- One live webinar presentation with Q&A session
We’ll focus on one topic each week:
Week 1: Track: Where does all your time go and why don’t you have enough of it to do things you love with people you love? This week’s simple shifts and micro actions will help you identify time sucks. We’ll also look at how to fill your week with things that deserve your time.
Week 2: Detox: From digital detox to crossing things off your calendar, you’ll learn what’s important and what’s not. Implement an intentional screening system and learn how to say “no thank you” with no guilt.
Week 3: Spend: There are 24 hours in each day and you have the glorious opportunity to spend them. They will go by whether you mindfully engage or not, so learn to make your minutes and hours count.
This guided self-study course begins on May 7th. This 3 week course is $49.00 and we are giving away 3 memberships.
Contest
If you’d like to win a membership, leave a comment below and fill in the blank. If I had more time _______________________. Then, sign up to receive updates from Your Lovely Life. We only email you when we have new courses or content on the site and you can unsubscribe anytime. On Thursday, we’ll be sending out an email announcing the winners.
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If I had more time, I’d spend it with my kids, doing things they enjoy.
Thanks for the chance to win!
What a great idea for a workshop. When I teach creative writing and hear “I just don’t have time to write,” I ask my students to keep track of how they spend every 30 minutes of the day. It is often enlightening where that time gets to…
That said, if I had more time, I’d do even more knit/crochet design work!
If I had more time…
1. I would go down into my painting studio and paint more. I have so many ideas – inspired by my work, reading and conversations during the day – i am so tired that I literally fall into bed at 10:00pm instead of sketching and painting for a few hours.
2. I would go on more farm visits where i learn about small scale farming, modern food [sustainable, natural, earth inspired] farming.
3. I would write more letters to incite people to think differently about the sustainable energy, saving ontario farms, and a new method of farming that will allow people [with $250,000 to invest] to own a homestead instead of the paler options of a townhouse, condo…
If I had more time I would celebrate life more by spending quality one-on-one time with my friends, family and fiance.
I had a realization while reading this post that I often choose to believe that the Creator (whichever one you chose to believe in) made everything the way it is for a purpose, and it is our job to realize that and make the very best of it. I think the Creator made 24 hours in a day for a reason– one of those reasons is probably showing us that it is ENOUGH if we cut out all the unneccesary time suckers.
I have enjoyed all these posts. Thank you!
I can’t create more time. But if I could, I would borrow a few hours to throw out the garbage and define what I really enjoy.
If I had a few extra hours, I would write more, sew more, and go on picnicks.
If I had more time…. I would sit down and think more often about what my purpose is in life and how to get there! I’ve been struggling for the past couple of years to make a move – is it graduate school? Changing jobs? Moving closer to family? I don’t know.
If I had more Time I’d make a soup from it that could inspire everyone to see their Time as the gift it really is.
If I had more time, I would:
1. Drink more tea on the patio, just watching the birds fly by and the breeze play in the trees.
2. I would go for more walks, taking in more nature and calming down.
3. I would meditate.
4. Soak in the bath.
5. Learn to cook food from scratch – and hopefully learn to like doing it.
6. I would just…take better care of myself.
Thank you for the chance to win!
If I had more time I would spend it teaching my son instead of letting everyone else do it.
If I had more time I would finally get all the art ideas out of my head and onto the canvas/computer. I would take more walks. I would meditate by the lake more. I would serve my friends better.
If I had more time I would spend more time with the people that I love.
If I had more time I could fall asleep peacefully, instead of reciting an endless litany of things I have to remember to do the next day, ideas that might never make it to fruition and chores I wish I could complete to satisfaction.
If I had more time I would awake early enough each morning to step outside on the beach and witness the sunrise and then visualize the three things that I treasured the most in my life that day.
If I had more time, I would be outside more in the garden or hiking with my family.
If I had more time I would meditate on creating more time to meditate and take care of myself.
If I had more time…
I’d spread my arms, breathe deeply, and smile.
If I had more time I’d scrapbook more!
Thanks for the opportunity to win.
Hugs,
If I had more time, I wouldn’t complain so much and be more willing to do things that I need to do so that I can then do what I love to do and be much happier. Does that make sense?!? There’s just so much to do as wife, mom, employee, friend, volunteer…that I don’t have time for myself! I don’t mean to be selfish, but I need to take better care of myself before I can help anyone. Also, its very important for me to be a great mom and role model for my girls and I want to enjoy them at this age, but at times I feel like I’m rushing my time with them because I’m not totally there, I’m always thinking about the next thing on my to-do list!
If I had more time…I would be appreciative of it and strive to end each day with a feeling a satisfaction in all aspects of my life.
If I had more time I’d just “be” with my family more. I would also play my piano, guitar & violin, read more, sit at my spinning wheel more, knit & crochet more, and finally finish the quilt I started ages ago!
If I had more time I would travel more and explore the world!
I have just discovered painting, so if I had more time I would paint more and I would read more and spend more time with my partner.
If I had more time I would feel better about myself, would work on my relationships and find space to just be.
If I had more time, I’d take more of these classes!
But, if that one doesn’t count, I’d practice my piano more so that I’d get more comfortable with performing for others.
*sigh* If I had more time… I would do more digital scrapbooking! And play with my kids more. And paint a picture, which I haven’t done in years. And relax more! And spend time with friends. And yeah, get more work done. (I need a lot more time, LOL!)
That course sounds great!
If I had more time, I would exercise more frequently and take better care of me, so that I can help take care of those that I love and need me. Thanks, this would help!
If I had more time I would:
1: Walk more
2: Read more
If I had more time, I would sit and cuddle with my kids without constant jumping up and down to check on something in the kitchen.
If I had more time I would write a love song and sing it every day. I would run my toes through the grass and bathe in the moonshine. I would join in a choir, rejoicing in the joy of our Lord. I do need more time to reflect on God’s word and really listen to the songs in my heart.
I sure appreciate the thought and time you put into your upcoming workshop, I sure would love to participate.
Di@Cottage-wishes
If I had more time … I wouldn’t be surrounded by unfinished projects, and I would smile more!
If I had more time… I would commit myself to 5-6 days a week of triathlon training. I need to find more time asap!
If I had more time….I’d give it to someone else that needs it more than me!
I have time these days, at 51 years old. No longer am I running to and from work, daycare, swimming lessons, dance lessons, working overtime, working out, helping with homework, challenged by a teenager, balancing a tender budget and attempting to meet the demands of a single mom. Now my child is grown and on her own and I am in a relationship with the man of my dreams who is my true partner in life.
If I had more time…
Isn’t the problem. I have enough time to meditate, to take walks by the Sound, to declutter the house. I simply haven’t discovered the right ways to organize and use that time.
If I had more time, I would visit my mum more often, spending time with my stepfather. He’s a farmer, and I love farming – it’s just that it’s a four-hours-journey to where they live so I spend far too little time there, driving the tractor and learning how to do things.
If I had more time I would try and learn to focus on the really important things and probably come to know that I’ve been having “more time” all along.
Thanks a lot for this great blog! I am from (and living in) Germany and find your articles very inspiring.
If I have more time I would call my friends and have a girls’ night out at our local restaurant
If I had more time then I’d stop stressing out never having enough time and actually live in this moment. I’d try and sit still and take some time to reflect on the blessings in my life, and the things that need to change to help me live a life on purpose. I’d realise that time itself is such a blessing and it deserves our attention and consideration on how to best spend this precious gift.
What a lovely offer you’ve made to us all! And thank you for continuing to share and inspire, as always x
If I had more time, I would create beautiful things with my hands and heart. I would honor my health and body,do thoughtful, kind things for others and BREATHE.
If I had more time I would explore my creativity and work towards my goals!
If I had more time, I would concentrate on making myself relaxed and healthy so I could be a better role model and single mother to my 3 daughters. My twins have autism and I would like to be more patient with them so I could help them reach their potential in life.
I’d love to wim a membership. If I had more time I’d spend it camping and hiking with my 17 year old son. He’ll be graduating from high school in a year, and moving to who knows where. Want to share my dily life with him as much as I can before he goes.
If I had more time I would do more to bring joy into the lives of those I love.
There is never enough time, is there? We had to relentless schedule time for the hobbies and fun things we like. I even have a hard time as someone in their late 30′s with no kids, mortgage or wife. I can see how that 90 minutes of free time would be common for most.
I’d paint again, play my Djembe drum more, meditate more, read more, exercise more…and the list goes on.
I’m learning to let some stuff slide, and plan for fun. Something always comes up that needs “attending to”, it’s a matter of seeing the big picture and spending time on the things that bring joy, while still maintaining your responsibilities.
If I had more time, I would
Create more art
Scrapbook more
Write more regularly
Play the piano more
Thankfully, in the last few years I’ve been trying to take better care of myself (being a stay at home Mom to 4 girls who I’ve homeschooled for the past 16 years, it’s easy to discount my own needs in favor of others). We’ve had a terrible time with our businesses failing and ensuing bankruptcy. The stress of this time has made me sit back, take a look at what’s REALLY important, and focus more on that.
Still, if there were more time to be had, that’s what I’d do with it.
If I had more time I would be a kinder, more patient, and creative person.
If I had more time I would ride my bike, grow strawberries and line-dry my clothing. <3
If I had more time… I would like to think that I would thank for the most precious present in life and take advantage of it doing great things but unfortunately, more than surely, I would soon take it for granted as we normally do in our daily lifes…
The course sounds fantastic!!! I need it!!!
If I had more time, I would use it to work on my writing. My dream is to be a novelist, but actually writing always ends up being the last thing on my to-do list. I’m a college student, so I have a long life ahead of me (God-willing), and I am terrified of spending it in a busy rut. Help!
If I had more time, I would get enough sleep/rest.
I wish I had time to play my bass.
With more time, and more rest, I could have more fulfilling runs, instead of sluggish, tired, crappy runs.
If I had more time I would write, read, and make some art. And clean my room. I do have time for all of this and much more like finding a job but I just need to learn how to manage it better. *sigh*
If I had more time (and house was cleaned and organized), I would begin making jewelry again. I gave it up when I had children 8 years ago, and really miss it.
If I had more time, I would read more, garden, learn a new job, volunteer for my church, and really relax.
If only I had time, I would have gotten this read on time to enter the contest. I wrestle with time. I’d love to feel rested each day instead of exhausted. I seem to save rest for the weekends, and go on low fuel during the week.
I was doing great with limiting my time online, but then started planning a vacation where we were bidding on condos and now trying to sell/buy house. I’m tied to my computer more than ever now.
I haven’t detoxed a day in over a month. It is the best thing ever to not turn on the computer for a whole day. That alone is relaxing and puts less clutter and things on your to do list. Thank you for the reminder, it’s time to get back to what’s important even under times of higher than usual stress and responsibilities.
We’ve chosen and emailed the winners. If you are interested in the course, please visit http://yourlovelylife.com/lovely-lessons/
I would spend it with my husband.
If I had more time I would feel the sun on my face, enjoy the laughter of my children and the sensation of my husbands hand holding mine. I would spend more time being creative and play in the dirt in my garden.
If I had more time I would complete my increasing pile of books (including e-books) on my reading list.
I have read most of the comments here and generally agree. I would like to say if I had more time I would spend it with my grandfather, sharing that experience with my daughter. But I can not truthfully say that I don’ t do that now because I am short in time. To be honest I choose to fill my time up with other things, important or not. I can make more time for him and my daughter it is just a matter of choosing to. So, my response is I don’t want more time, I just want to use my time better.
If I had more time….. I’d spend it watching and experiencing life more through my dog’s eyes.