{"id":1196,"date":"2009-11-12T08:56:20","date_gmt":"2009-11-12T16:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=1196"},"modified":"2013-08-21T08:45:06","modified_gmt":"2013-08-21T16:45:06","slug":"4-ways-to-really-make-time-for-what-you-want-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/4-ways-to-really-make-time-for-what-you-want-to-do\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways to REALLY Make Time Work For You"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I\u2019ll bet you\u2019ve got a number of started or almost-started projects that you\u2019d love to do. Perhaps you dream of starting your own business, writing a novel, learning a foreign language, or taking a qualification. Or maybe you want to get the attic cleared out, organise your files, or repaint the hallway. It could even be that you know you need to take the time to exercise, meditate or journal … but you never get around to it.<\/p>\n

The problem is, your life is already full, and you end up busy with all the day-to-day things, unable to find time for what you really want<\/em> to do. Here are some ways to make the time that you need:<\/em><\/p>\n

Use Your First Hour<\/h2>\n

How often have you told yourself that you\u2019ll get to your big project or your novel or your spring cleaning once everything else is done<\/em>?<\/p>\n

And how often have you reached the end of the day, and had no energy? How often has something unexpected cropped up that steals away the time you were going to spend working towards your goal?<\/p>\n

An easy solution is to take the first hour of your day and use it for what really matters<\/em><\/strong> to you.<\/strong> Everything else can wait for just one hour.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Use Your Diary<\/h2>\n

If you never seem to have a free day to clear the garage, or a weekend to get that small business launched, then pick up your diary. Look ahead a few weeks, and find a day or a couple of days that you can block out to work on something important to you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Treat this time just as seriously as if you were going on vacation or to a seminar. If you\u2019re asked to make social or voluntary commitments during it, explain that you\u2019re busy.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find that your existing work and other activities flow around the time that you\u2019ve blocked out, leaving you with the space to finally make progress on your<\/em> project.<\/p>\n

Use Your Friends<\/h2>\n

Sometimes, freeing up an hour of your day, or a couple of days in a month, just isn\u2019t easy. Perhaps you have childcare responsibilities, a demanding job, or a lot of different commitments.<\/p>\n

This is when friends and family can come in handy. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask for the support that you need: many people will be genuinely glad to do you a favor. <\/strong>Ask a friend to babysit your kids while you write your business plan; let your spouse or housemate cook dinner while you head to the gym; get advice from a friend on how to move forwards with your plans.<\/p>\n

Friends can also be a great source of encouragement. You could ask a friend to keep you accountable by checking up on your progress, whether that\u2019s through a weekly phonecall or a quick daily check-in on Twitter. Sometimes, it\u2019s easier to stay motivated when you know that someone else is cheering you on.<\/p>\n

Use Your Willpower<\/h2>\n

Finally, in order to make time for the things which really matter to you, you\u2019ll need to use your willpower.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You might hope that because you\u2019re working on a project that\u2019s important \u2013 whether it\u2019s your novel or your small business or something self-nurturing \u2013 that you\u2019ll always<\/em> feel motivated. Chances are, though, that there\u2019ll be times when you\u2019re tired, or when you have to work through something difficult or dull in order to get to the next steps.<\/p>\n

At those times, you\u2019ll want to answer your emails, or watch television, or sleep in.<\/p>\n

This is when using your willpower matters. Don\u2019t say that you \u201chave no willpower\u201d \u2013 we all do. The more you exercise some self-discipline, the easier it becomes; plus, there are ways to increase your willpower<\/a>. Sometimes, you\u2019ll need to force yourself to make time for your project even when you don\u2019t feel like it \u2013 because you know that making steady progress is going to be a great feeling.<\/p>\n

How do you make time for the things you <\/em>really want to do? What important projects have you stalled on? How can you get going again?<\/em><\/p>\n

Don’t Forget To Follow PickTheBrain on Twitter<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n

Related Articles:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A Smarter Approach To Time Management<\/a><\/p>\n

The Only Time Management Tip Your Really Need<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ll bet you\u2019ve got a number of started or almost-started projects that you\u2019d love to do. Perhaps you dream of starting your own business, writing a novel, learning a foreign language, or taking a qualification. Or maybe you want to get the attic cleared out, organise your files, or repaint the hallway. It could even be that you know you need to take the time to exercise, meditate or journal … but you never get around to it. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[6,39],"tags":[59,66,4639,4629,4647],"yoast_head":"\n4 Ways to REALLY Make Time For What You Want to Do<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I\u2019ll bet you\u2019ve got a number of started or almost-started projects that you\u2019d love to do. Perhaps you dream of starting your own business, writing a novel, learning a foreign language, or taking a qualification. Or maybe you want to get the attic cleared out, organise your files, or repaint the hallway. It could even be that you know you need to take the time to exercise, meditate or journal ... but you never get around to it. 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