Aren’t you suppose to work really hard so you’ve got meaningful time? Can you think of a time you worked so hard that you could have it at will? If you answered no to both, you can easily change this by spending the time to create meaning now. Otherwise, there’ll be no space to make it happen.
I’ll share a simple example. I use to present at a lot of Board of Director meetings. Looking back, the most beneficial use of my time was the 5 minutes I took to write down the vibe I wanted to create. It was generally a list of 5 bullets or so. I’d include things like collaborative, fun, share ideas, calm. And, voila, that’s what I experienced. Meaningful time gained.
I could have easily been bogged down with worry and self-consciousness. By listing things out, I gave my subconscious mind a playground to go create the vibe. And, that’s what it did.
So many times, it’s easy to say there’s not enough time or you can get to it when [fill in the blank] is done. This happens everywhere – at home, at work, with your friends. Imagine the impact you’d make if you became more conscious of creating meaningful time for yourself and those around you.
Sometimes, it comes down to not truly knowing how. You’re so use to running a million miles an hour that it’s scary to stop. It’s unfamiliar territory. You’d be surprised what valuable impact slowing down has in increasing the meaning of what you do
So, if you’re ready to pause for a moment, here are a few tips to play around with.
3 Secretly Simple Tips to Make Time Meaningful
1. Look through Different Lenses
For any upcoming event, you can look at it through 4 lenses – spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical. Write down one action you can take for each lens. This is an easy way to find balance. You can use it for a dinner out with the girls, your next workout, shopping at Whole Foods, or a routine meeting with your team. You can use the sample note page here to guide you.
2. Identify Your Most Insane Expectation
What is the one thing you’ve set your mind to doing today that’s totally insane? How does it make you feel when you think about it? Say you intend to take care of 20 things on your to-do list, read 150 emails, attend 6 hour-long meetings, or tidy your closet. Pick that one thing out, write down how you feel about it, and then lay out the sane thing to do. Decide what’s most meaningful to do.
3. Imagine Your Impression
Pick out one person you’ll encounter during the day. Write down the 5 things you’d love for them to say about your experience together. It could be things like energized, caring, present, thoughtful, inspiring, connected. Take a moment to see that encounter play out.
I’d recommend whatever you choose to do that it’s paired with an existing habit. You could do it when you get on the train, before you check your email in the am, right after you sit down at your desk. Whatever is a helpful reminder.
These tips show you how to externalize the meaningful time you want to experience. What you can see becomes real. So make it exactly what you want!
Have fun and pick one of these ways to experiment with. Book a 5 minute slot in your calendar to remind you. Please share in the comments which one you picked and why. It’s great to share experiences to inspire others.
