Feeling rushed seems to be a byproduct of modern life. We work to have a better life, but we find that we have to spend time traveling to the house that we were able to provide thanks to work. We engage in activities to keep ourselves healthy and involved in life, then find that we have increased our commitments to the point where we no longer enjoy these “leisure” activities. We want to do a good job in all aspects of life: work, relationships, parenting, home care, and we feel buried in joyless responsibility.
Taking the time to go on a weekend meditation retreat? You know it would be good for you, but if you can’t even find the time to sleep a little later on a weekend, how could you set aside two days to do nothing?
Many of us keep looking for time in all the wrong places. Such as, “After I’m done with work, and my commute, and my personal banking business, and my food shopping and meal preparation, and walking the dog, and my commitments to other people…then I’ll have in small time to relax. And it never happens.
Don’t wait until everything else is done before taking time for yourself. You will never have anything left. Do what personal money managers advise: pay yourself first. If possible, spend a few quiet moments at the beginning of the day meditating. You will start your day feeling more clear about what you plan to achieve.
Other ideas to better manage your time:
Better manage your transitions. Go into each new task and find after You have spent a few minutes taking deep breaths and clearing your mind. Your loved ones, your boss, even your pets will thank you for being more relaxed
Stress makes you stupid. Do you remember “Ready, Fire, Aim”? Deliberately slow down when starting a new task; write a plan of what you are going to do (writing it down forces you to slow down and think), even (god forbid!) read the instructions first. The time you spend will be more than rewarded by the time you save by not having to go back and fix mistakes.
Live the present, not the future: When you run to a date, you review in your mind the topic that is coming, you park your car, you slam the door and walk later, you spend the time frantically looking for your car. When you leave your car, or make any transitions, watch for small landmarks that will orient you to their location.
You’ll arrive fresher and clearer-headed, and won’t waste time looking for something you shouldn’t have “missed.” You can even see places that delight and inform you, places you might have missed in a hurry.
Following the guidelines above will help you create “islands of peace” in the midst of your chaotic days, and even encourage you to take that weekend retreat. Best of all, this can be the beginning of a new way of living and loving your life.