We wait. We wait for a better job, we wait for a vacation, we wait until our children are a “little bit older”, we wait to have time. And we keep doing the same thing over and over again.
There doesn’t seem to be enough time to do anything that we want to do.We live in an challenging world, with endless lists of things to get done.
Young working parents know this all too well – get the kids up in the morning and get them ready for their day, running off to work, working and working and then pick up the kids, bring them home, take them to their activities, set up play dates, make dinner, get everyone ready for bed and organize the next day. Stay at home parents have the same issues.
Young professionals know this all to well as they climb the ladder of “success”, with endless hours at work, leaving no time to do the things that they enjoy.
It’s like a carousel that you can’t seem to get off of. It’s a really beautiful carousel, yet, maybe it could slow down a bit every now and then? Because getting off the carousel isn’t an option, how can we improve these situations, so that we can find balance and enjoy?
Step I: Stop waiting.
Make a list of things that you enjoy doing. It may be cooking, skydiving, spending time with your family and friends, going out, anything that you love to do. Write it down. You may think that writing it down isn’t important, but it is! You can’t debate a thought once you write it down.
Step II: Choose
Choose one thing on your list. Just one. Think about the happiness that it can bring you, the enjoyment of the experience. It may be that you just want to have a quiet cup of coffee with yourself….it may be having coffee with a loved one….it may be skydiving. Everyone is unique, so each choice will be unique.
Step III: Make a plan
Making a plan sounds complicated, but remember that you chose one thing off of your list to fit into your busy schedule. So plan for this one event. If it’s a quiet cup of coffee with yourself, think “When can I do this?”. Who can help you achieve this?
You can.
If it is spending more time with your family, or with your friends, ask yourself “When can I do this?”
Who can help you achieve this?
You can.
Step IV: Write it down in your schedule
Yes, write it down. If you write it down, you can’t argue about what you wrote down!
Step V: Do it
Yes, you can stop waiting for the right time. You can plan it and do it! It’s just one thing on the checklist.
It is possible
Last step: Enjoy!
Be in the moment of what you are doing. Having a quiet cup of coffee? Enjoy each sip, enjoy the moment. Spending time with your family and friends? Be in the moment. Be aware.
Have a wonderful day!