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on Making time

11/7/2015

4 Comments

 
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Do you believe we are the makers of our own time or do you think you have to do with whatever time is given to you, and therefor you'll never have enough time to do everything you want to do?
Until pretty recently I tended to think I had to do the best of the 24hours that punctuate each and every day. 
That was before I'd heard about the Einstein approach of time vs the Newton approach of time (the one most of us live in). I won't get into the technical theories here, you can google them as much as you want. 
But I have gone on a pretty strict diet : I have decided to stop complaining about time. To not give room in my mind for such complaints. It's a hard diet to go on, believe me! You can try it for yourself, see how many times a day you think you don't have enough time to accomplish all that you want to do, that you are running out of time, that you wish there were 36hours in a day. How many times a day do you look at the clock ticking on your watch or cellphone?
If you're late for an appointment yet run into a friend while leaving the grocery store, try not to say you don't have time for a chitchat...that's a hard one! But instead of saying "sorry I don't have time right now" (usually this comes with an exhausted-worried-look), you can simply change your words and say "hey let's make time soon to catch up!" (with a smile and a happy-face!).
This might sound silly at first but what a difference it makes in my everyday approach of time and hours passing by. I've come to realize that I am in charge of making the time I need for my life. Complaints about time still come to my mind, almost everyday, but I don't let the thought take up space in my mind. I notice it, I acknowledge it and I wave it good-bye. It is quite a challenge when you have children, work to do, lunch and diner to think about first thing in the morning , groceries to go shop....an endless list really.
But what a relieve to stop complaining about time. What a relieve to come to the realization that you can make time for what you want to achieve. It might means that the laundry won't be folded right in the second the dryer has stopped drying, it might means there will be a few toys laying around the house for another couple of days or unboxed boxes waiting for you to give it some attention. I personally have had to put a bit of my social life on hold lately. But frankly, I have spent most of my twenties being very social, partying, meeting new peeps, traveling, and I loved it but right now, I am making time for my family AND myself. It is quite a new concept for me : m y  s e l f ! 
Stopping the time-complaints-thing has helped bring the focus back in my life. I don't want to complain therefor I make time for what matters most to me right now. And baking a chocolate cake on a Wednesday with my 2 year old, picking up my camera because the light in our kitchen corner is pretty damn good and because photography matters to me, getting a nice photo of my son, laughing out loud with him as we dip our fingers in the melted chocolate, watching him try to break an egg and spill flour all over the floor while doing so, that's what I want to make time for. 
And somehow, this no-complaint-about-time-thing seems to work wonder work wise as well. To the point I go, more focus and more efficiency = more tasks accomplished in less time.
Will this help keep my sanity when baby2 comes along? Maybe not, but it's okay, I will then be able to drink a good ol'Guinness when in deep need of me-time.

Side note : I believe a little boy who knows how to bake a chocolate cake will turn out to be a great Man!

4 Comments
PennyL
12/17/2015 02:51:17 am

Have popped over to visit your blog fromyour comment on Practising Simplicity. What a brilliant post! I also love your post on Gratitude. I have bookmarked your lovely blog, and am really looking forward to reading through it. Ironically, because I have so much to do today, to make my life simpler before Xmas, I'm going to have to use self discipline and not sit here for an hour with you now!! But I am definately going to make that time! Have a lovely Xmas with your beautiful boy, bump and husband. Au revoir PennyL in Dorset U.Kxx

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Happy-bandits link
12/19/2015 12:35:01 am

Penny! I am so glad my post resonated with you, it is very inspiring being able to connect with like-minded people from around the world. Thank you so much for making time to comment here :) I found that in order to stop complaining about time flying by, we do have to set our priorities and try to stick to them (though I am a total daydreamer but I manage to make time for my daydreams as I love/need them, I guess they are amongst my priorities haha!) Come back when you can sit, relax and enjoy..I will be here. I wish you a beautiful christmas as well and I will try to send a sun ray all the way to the UK! xx Benedicte

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Marian
1/4/2016 08:41:20 pm

Hi, I too have just popped over after reading your comment on Practising Simplicity.Both Jodi's and your posts had me thinking about what I am in the habit of thinking and therefore inhibiting my choices. I very much tend to think things will take too long to do e.g. clean the bathroom (what joy!!) and consequently put off doing it. But then when I do do it, it never takes as long as I have convinced myself it will take and I realise that if I didn't procrastinate in this way so much and do it more often it will probably take even less time. And I won't have spent so much time letting it grate on me that I haven't done it. Aside from that I totally agree with you re making choices to do and enjoy what really matters, like sewing and painting (real joy!!) and especially to choose to do them earlier in the day before I am tired and running out of energy. Here's to us all making good choices for ourselves and enjoying our time. Will be back to read more of your blog soon, wishing you a happy new year full of happy new moments, from Marian in Adelaide South Australia. BTW I am 61 going on 35 and still learning :-D

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Happy-Bandits link
1/5/2016 12:29:30 am

Hi Marian! I loved your comment, thanks so much for making time for it! I had to laugh too as I was just looking at my bathroom today thinking it needed a bit of attention...soon! Definitely, some of our time needs to go towards chores we'd rather not have to do but then..our lives are so much easier and happier when these are done. It's an everyday workout to find the right balance sometimes. Avoiding complaining about Time too much has been so helpful to keep the focus on! I too wish you a very happy 2016, thanks so much for popping over (and I love that you're 61 going 35...!)

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