Changing the World One Monday At A Time (Part 7)

The irony about this VERY delayed post is that it is about managing time.

Oh no, I am not going to lecture you on how to manage the day-t0-day operations of your life. That would be asking for a flood of kettle/pot references and "ain't nobody got time for that".

No, this week, the inspiration for changing the world is how much time we spend focused on things that don't add value to our life.

A few weeks ago, I had this "ah-ha" moment where I realized I was over-committed. I decided it was time for a personal inventory. A reflection on what is most important to me. And I came up with a list of five.

1. My relationship with God;

2. My relationship with my family (husband/kidlets especially);

3. My writing;

4. My relationship with my close friends;

5. My library work.

And then I started looking at what I was doing with my time and what I was committed to. It was time to clean off the plate and make room for the "food" that fuels me. So now I'm in the process of removing the things that I do that don't support the five core "things" that I need to focus on.

Does this mean that getting my house in order isn't on the list? No, because I believe that by decluttering my house, I increase the positivity within our family and I have time and space to spend with God, writing or spending precious time with friends. Did you notice how working out isn't on this list, either? Except that I am making a more conscious effort to not only do more but to make it quality time. I don't have to run a mile, but I can go on a mile long walk with the kidlets as the summer heat recedes and we're left with the beauty of fall. (For the record, I will never run. I hate running.) Exercise will also go a long way to support all five of the values I've selected.

So what kind of things am I trying to eliminate? Well, things like playing Facebook games to start. The more I think about it, the more I think these off shoots of social media are the downfall of our society. But I'm also going to work on not concerning myself with things that have nothing to do with me. This includes being a busybody and needing to know "the scoop". It also includes gossip which is something I struggle with. And the side effect of this means that sometimes I have to limit contact with people who bring these traits out it me. There aren't many, but there are some and I have noticed that even the briefest of interactions can trigger a negative attitude in me which prohibits me from being a productive manager of my time. Now, let's be clear. I'm not blaming these "other" people for my reaction. It's not them. It's how I am when I am around them. But if I can be one less cog in the negative wheel in humanity, than I have the responsibility to do so.

Wow... today's post sounds decidedly preachy. Sorry about that. Enough about me. What about you? Are there things you would like to cut from your life to make it easier to manage your time? Share them here. In the meantime, I'm going to BE FEARLESS and let my Farmville home flop.