Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is starting off just right.
For some reason, it just seems like this week was dragging. Maybe it’s just me, and maybe it’s just because I’m still not retired. I have a feeling that, after retirement, the days, months, and years will fly by. Isn’t that the way it works?
Yet, in terms of my personal goals – the things I promised I would do for myself – time just seems to evaporate. I’ve talked in the past about Monday morning resolutions. I make them, every single week. And every single week I get to Friday and think, “Man, I blew that one again!”
I think that happens to most of us. We start the week with the best of intentions, but other priorities seem to fill every spare moment. Sometimes they’re things that require our immediate attention, so we really don’t have a choice in the matter. But sometimes, the priority is simply to unwind from an otherwise hectic day.
Regardless, those unexpected twists and turns can fill every spare moment in our day if we let them. Sometimes we even look for things to fill our time, just to keep from feeling guilty about avoiding what we should be doing. Checking email is always good for that. Or surfing the Internet, sorting papers, reading through old notes, or a dozen other things that at least feel productive.
But you know, if anybody were to ask me what I’ll be doing at 6:00 any weekday morning, I could tell them without even thinking. I’ll be right here, hammering out a few words for you folks. From 8-5, I’ll be at work. Monday nights I’ll be attending a business meeting. Sunday morning I’ll be in church. Those things are pretty much set in stone, and I try not to let anything get in the way.
I’m sure you’ve got several things on your schedule, whether it’s in writing or in your head. There are certain things you know you’ll be doing on any given day, and you know those things well ahead of time. When I ask somebody if we can get together on a Thursday in three weeks to talk about business, they can tell me in a flash if that’s bowling night. It’s in the schedule.
We get things done to the extent that we prioritize them and, unless that priority is something that comes up on a spur of the moment, we prioritize them to the extent that we set aside the time to do them. And for those who are like me and think only nerds keep schedules, here’s a little tip – if you set aside time for anything, even sleeping every day, you have a schedule. Get over it.
I know I should work out a monthly budget, but it’s easier to just spend money on the things that require money and keep an eye on the account balance. And when something unexpected comes up, like a fine mist of water spraying from the top of the water softener, I have to finagle a way to take care of that as well. But a realistic budget would have allowed for small household emergencies.
Now, any financial expert would tell me that’s about the dumbest approach to money management, and I’m sure most of you would agree. So, why are we so averse to keeping a schedule? We’ll put birthdays, anniversaries, and medical appointments on the calendar. But have you ever set aside a specific time each week to work on the things you want to do for yourself?
Since I began writing these posts at the beginning of last year, I’ve written the equivalent of six books. And, even though several people have encouraged me to write a book, I never can find the time. Too many other things come in and take up whatever time I have leftover each day. And the reason is simple – I let them. I allow it to happen by not scheduling that time for something I want to do.
In the simple act of adding something to our schedule, we commit to it. We block out that time and make it unavailable for anything else. And it doesn’t matter if that time is blocked out for date night, reading, playing with the kids, or writing a book. It’s a scheduled activity that we’ve set in stone. And once it’s in writing, we’re usually that much more reluctant to erase it. Especially if we use good ink.
Make time for the things that are important to you. Put it in writing and post that schedule where you’ll see it several times each day. After a while, you won’t even have to think about what you’ll be doing each night from 7:00 – 8:00. You’ll be doing the same thing you always do. And every time you do, you’ll be that much closer to achieving your goals.
That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!
© 2019 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved
Dave Glardon 