October 24th is Take Back Your Time Day, and this year it is on Saturday. Even better! This day was created by a group of folks who believe we no longer value leisure time. The mission statement on their website, www.takebackyourtime.org explains it best:
Take Back Your Time seeks to challenge the epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine in the United States and Canada that threatens our health, our relationships, our communities, and our environment. We seek a renewed understanding of the value of leisure time and the costs of time stress in our lives and workplaces.
How we use our time, and measure the quality of our lives, affects people across class, gender, race, and ideological lines. What brings our diverse group together is a belief that we can shape customs, values and policies in the workplace and in our family lives that improve our quality of life and influence better outcomes for all of us. Together we can explore ideas and create plans for action while inspiring others.
It is so easy to use lack of time or "busyness" as an excuse to not accomplish all we need to do in a day. As a professional organizer, I teach people better time management skills to help them accomplish all of things they need to do each day. It can be a challenge for us because we live in a society with so many distractions, but I would like to share 5 tips that will help you gain control over your day again. 1. Take a few moments at the end of the day to plan out the next day. What do you HAVE to get done tomorrow? Do you have late morning meeting, so you won't have time to go out for lunch and will have to bring a lunch from home? Does your child have a playdate or sports practice after dinner? Is there a new episode of your favorite show on that you don't want to miss? Make sure those items are on your schedule and write them down. You will more apt to stick with it if you see it written down.
2. Many people feel guilty scheduling time for leisure activities, but we all need them to feel rested and rejuvenated. Schedule a half hour to read a chapter of your current book or new magazine issue. Knit a few more rows on that scarf you haven't touched in weeks. Schedule time for exercise - even if it is only a 15-minute walk around the block with Fido instead of a 45-minute spin class.
3. Plan for a social media break. Yes, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest can suck hours out of your life, but instead of telling yourself you're not going to pick up your phone at all, allow yourself some time (30 minutes? An hour?) to watch those adorable cat videos and catch up with friends. Stay connected, but give yourself a limit and stick with it, so you don't feel guilty about it. I have a friend who only logs in to Facebook when she is walking on her treadmill for 30 minutes - so she gets 2 things done at once!
4. Be with those you love. Look at your schedule. Is there any way that you can plan to sit down with your favorite people for dinner tomorrow? Has it been a really long time since your whole family sat down to dinner together? It really is beneficial to kids and parents alike. Plan it and then make sure everyone has a chance to talk about their day. Turn off the TV, radio, and phones and really enjoy each other's company.
5. Do it again tomorrow! Make scheduling your days a habit. It really does help you mentally, physically, and emotionally to have down time each day, so make it a priority to schedule some in each day. It will make doing all those things you have to do seem easier.
So remember, you can control what you do with your time. Sometimes it just needs some planning!
Let me leave you with one of my favorite quotes, from H. Jackson Brown's Life's Little Instruction Book:
Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.
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