How to spend time where it matters?

When life gets busy one of the first things we can lose track of is time. In our fast-paced world, we can all feel like we do not have enough time, that we are always really busy, and yet don’t seem to achieve anything that is important. We want to change things and yet we feel it is impossible to change because we are short of time. However how many people actively choose how to spend their time? I was guilty of saying yes to every invite, never really considering what I was using my time for, was how I was spending my time helping me achieve my goals? I know when I began to envisage my dream life and started thinking about creating a simpler life one of the things that struck me was that I wasted a lot of time. I remember sitting in a park on holiday with my journal and a cup of tea and thinking about how I wanted my life to be versus how I was living it. I was very shocked. Needless to say, I was not spending my time where it matters most to me. Does this seem familiar to you? Are you spending your time where it matters? If not read on to find top tips to help you spend your time where it matters most.

1. Work out how you are spending your time

The first thing I did was look at how I was spending my free time. That is the time I have available when I am not at my job. I like to do this in hour slots. One way to do this is to keep a diary for your average week. Fill in all the activities that you do and whether they add or subtract to your life. So get yourself a notebook or set up a document or spreadsheet on your phone and just observe where you are at, without any pressure of what you feel you should or should not be doing. For me I spent a lot of time watching TV, scrolling through my phone, and going to every invite that was sent my way whether I wanted to be there or not, it’s that fear of missing out. At that moment I realised that I needed to change and needed to focus my time more on my dream life and my priorities.

2. Think about how you want to spend your time

So you are aware of how you are currently spending your time, but do you know how you would like to be spending it? What are your priorities? This is where we are all different and you know yourself best. What is it you truly want to be doing with your life? Also, think about what is already in life that improves/enhances it. Then think about the bigger picture. What in your dream life would you be doing? How much would you be doing it?

I appreciate that this one can be easier said than done. Especially if you are juggling work, childcare, and other responsibilities but it is worth looking at.

3. Compare the lists

So you have worked out where you spend your time and where you would like to spend your time. Do they match up? If so great, this blog post probably isn’t for you. If not how far apart are they? How big a change do you need to make?

For me, I spent way too much time watching TV and resting as I have a medical condition that creates chronic fatigue. I also spent too much time on my phone.  Not enough time in nature and not enough time with the people I care about and love. It might be for you; you are spending too much time at a job you hate. Or you might wish to improve the way you spend your time outside of work, so you do you, and start where you are at. What changes do you want to make?

The other thing to consider is do you have a healthy balance of how you spend your time. You may have your dream job, but is it taking over your entire life? We all have necessary tasks that we need to do, such as maintaining our homes, and vehicles and also going to work, but do you make time for what matters most to you, whether that is more time for fun, relationships, or the things that benefit your well-being like healthy eating and exercise?

4. What steps do you need to spend your time where it matters?

So you now know where you are at and also where you want to be. You now need to come up with a plan to get you where you want to be. This must be realistic, especially for longer-term or bigger goals. For example, you may want to change careers, this may involve retraining and is probably not going to happen overnight. In these cases break them down into much smaller manageable steps. On the other hand, you may have much smaller and more manageable changes such as reading a book more rather than watching TV or choosing a box set you know you will enjoy rather than mindlessly watching whatever happens to be on. Once you know your steps you can then start using your time to get you to where you want to be however big or small the changes.

5. Avoid mindless time-wasters

If you have used the steps so far you have probably identified many of your most used time-wasters, which is a great step in spending time where it matters most. Added to this you then need to set boundaries around their use, such as limiting social media usage to specific times of the day. Prioritize tasks that align with your goals and create a daily schedule that supports you in achieving your dreams.

6. Reflect and review

Those of you that read my blog regularly will know that this is one of my favourite tips. Any changes you make, make sure you make time to reflect and review. Are you moving in the right direction? Are you spending more of your time on things that are important to you? Do you need to make other changes? Have you tried to change too much too soon? Do you need to rewind a little? Ultimately small, slow sustainable changes allow you to survive and thrive.

The more we are selective about how we spend what little spare time we may get. The more we can use this to enhance our well-being and achieve our dreams, rather than wasting it away on things that do not support us. By taking these steps, you can reclaim your time, boost productivity, and create a more balanced, purposeful, and relaxed day.