“We all have the same number of hours in the day.”
I don’t know about you, but when somebody says this, I generally want to kick them in the shins or slap them with a large, dead fish.
It always seems to get said with a self righteous air, as if the person uttering the words has everything in their life perfectly under control. They are never late for work. Never miss a deadline. Never find themselves scrambling to fulfill an obligation at the very last second.
The fact that the words are true just makes them more irritating.
Unless somebody has invented a time machine and is doing an incredible job of keeping it hidden in their garage, we all get the same allotment of twenty-four hours in a day. Except this week, of course, when those of us living in misguided countries have an hour stolen from us, but that’s another story.
Some of us have a lot more living to cram into our time allowance than other people do. Some are contented with a slow and steady space. They go to work, come home, pet the cats, eat a tidy, low fuss dinner, watch TV and go to bed. I don’t personally know anybody like this, although I’m told they exist. I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody who felt they had more than enough hours in the day. People only trot out the “we all have the same number of hours in the day” statement when they’re talking to somebody else.
My point is that until Science and Magic get their acts together and create a time turner, we’re going to have to muddle along with not enough time to do All The Things. We can try, and sometimes even pull it off for awhile, but sooner or later we have to sleep. And the body, mind, and spirit will all rebel at some point if we push too hard, and find a way to force us to slow down. A rest enforced by physical illness, depression, anxiety, or some other system breakdown will slow us down more in the long run than a more reasonable pace.
So what’s the answer, then, for those of us overwhelmed by the drive to do everything?
I think it starts with setting priorities.
I ran into a Facebook meme the other day about this which was pretty simple and brilliant. Every time you catch yourself saying, “I don’t have time,” change those words to “That’s not a priority.” And then listen closely to yourself.
“I’d love to write but I just don’t have time,” becomes, “Writing is not a priority.”
“I know I should read but I don’t have time,” becomes, “Reading is not a priority.”
And – harsh reality time – maybe these things are not priorities for you. Maybe your priorities right now are raising kids, building a career, and binge watching The Walking Dead. No problem. If those are the priorities, then do those things.
Or, maybe, The Walking Dead can wait, and writing could fill that time slot.
It’s all about awareness and choices. You can find writing time and reading time, you can find time to play with your kids. You can find time to clean your house from top to bottom and do Pinterest crafts and bake chocolate chip cookies. But you might not be able to choose all of those things, all at the same time.
CHALLENGE
Take a few minutes, five at the most, to jot down a list of priorities, things like career and family and writing. Don’t get deep into the weeds on this – just jot them down as they come to you, in no particular order.
Got your list?
Great. Now pick the top five. This part is harder. Be honest and ignore the niggling guilt if your true priorities aren’t what you think they should be. Also be aware that priorities shift. Maybe family was the top priority when your kids were little, but now they’re in college and you’re focused on another goal. It doesn’t mean you don’t love your family if another priority rises to the top. It just means you are choosing to focus your energy elsewhere. Arrange your top five in order of current importance, with number one being the thing you would keep if you were forced to relinquish the others, and so on. Hold onto your finished list. Pin it on your bulletin board, or stash it wherever you keep such things. Whatever works for you.
Now, for the next week, observe how you spend your time. How many hours spent sleeping? How many hours on the internet? How many hours with the family? Watching TV? Writing? Reading? At the day job? Cleaning house? Jot down notes at the end of every day and make sure you account for all 24 hours.
At the end of your week of time observation, sit down with your priority list and your observation notes and compare them. How much time are you spending on your priorities? How much time are you spending on things that didn’t even make the priority cut? If your priorities and how you spend your time match up, chances are you’re feeling reasonably good about what you accomplish in your life. If they don’t, my guess is that you’re feeling frustrated and unfulfilled.
The next step is to figure out how to focus your energy on the things that matter most to you. This comes at a cost, by the way. We don’t get anything for free, and no matter what we’d like to believe, we can’t have it all.
I’ll be talking more about this next month.
This is so true! Also, I heard someone someplace say this: If you write one page a day, in a year you’ll have a draft of a novel. A page a day seems doable, and if your goal is to write a novel, one year from now you’ll be a lot closer if you follow this advice!
Excellent! Why do I think this is good timing, with St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow? My brother always says, “Janet, you’re so lucky.” I’m a firm believer that we shape our own good luck by working toward a goal, and being ready when the little leprechaun taps on our shoulders. Be it traditional or indie publishing (or writing in the sky!), luck plays a part in our success. With the careful prioritizing you describe here, Kerry, we can find the time to not only pursue our dreams, but to be ready for those rare moments of opportunity.
Great post, Kerry, and a wonderful reminder to get me back on a prioritized list! It’s so important ,and helpful when you feel constantly rushed. Yeah, that’s me. I’m going to delete Sugar Chrush from my computer.
And Theresa, I’ve said that many times both in programs and to friends. I actually did it. It was the year my youngest child went to school. For the first time in years I had the whole day to myself. I probably read the “one page a day” thing somewhere myself. Of course the book didn’t sell, but the accomplishment showed me I could write in the novel-length format, something I’d doubted before. As Kerry said, I thought I didn’t have the time.
Your timing is excellent, Kerry, because my priorities are really messed up at the moment. I’m pulling out the notebook and starting a new page….
Yep – a page a day would get you there. I think we all get hung up on needing to do big things, or do things fast, and forget that one small step at a time can also get the work done.