Ready to step toward greater time success?  Then try this brief Time Travel Exercise.  It will help you uncover what I like to think of as your Family Legacy of Time – what you learned about time from an early age.

The following fill-in-the-blank exercise can generate surprising insights. Don’t be judgmental or self-critical as you approach these questions.  The more you can explore your history with a relaxed and open mind, the more information you’ll make available to yourself.

You can also broaden the exercise to include other family members  who influenced your early development around time.  Adapt this exercise to suit your needs and experiences – don’t limit yourself!

1. My mother/father always wanted to __________ but never took the time.
2. I felt valued when my mother/father spent time __________.
3. When I was younger, I promised myself I’d never spend time __________ the way my mother/father did.
4. My mother/father spent lots of time _________ no matter what.
5. I liked the way my mother/father always took time to _______.
6. My mother/father spent more time __________ when stressed.
7. When I look at where my life feels out of balance and think of my mother/father’s time choices, I see that ____________.

Now step back and think about your responses.  What does completing this exercise reveal to you?  What surprises you?  Which of your family’s time choices have you adopted as your own?  How do you use them in your life today?  Are there things that you’d like to change?

Some of your discoveries might feel bittersweet. But remember, even as you see the losses, they ultimately lead to greater freedom!  Remember that the more compassion you feel as you view your family’s time choices (and yours), the more possibilities open up to you.

Consider revisiting this exercise over time. See what percolates today, tomorrow … and why not ask your dreams for their input, too!  As you allow your feelings to guide you, new paths will reveal themselves.  Who knows what uplifting ways you’ll find to use time!

Want to learn more about how you can expand and deepen your time and efforts … in whatever areas you choose? Here’s a great way to explore avenues to increasing your time skills and heart-based power – whether it’s in your business, or your personal life.  I am so pleased to be able to offer my expertise and support as The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to “Time Management”.

You can visit by clicking the link, and when you do you’ll find lots of time management articles by experts in the field, along with a vibrant and welcoming on-line community. Stop by my Expert Page and leave a comment or question … or just say hello.  There are lots of ways to connect … I’d love to get started!

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This is so important, because we live and breathe and do everything that we do in the context of time.  So your feelings and ideas about time affect every moment and every task that you undertake in your life.

But those feelings and beliefs are so embedded – so much a part of us – that they can be very difficult to see.

“It would hardly be fish who discovered the existence of water.” Clyde Kluckhorn.

Stepping back and finding more time by expanding your sense of possibilities is a gift you can give yourself  TODAY – and it is very liberating.  Here’s a great start: take a close look at what is most familiar – your family of origin. You can gather profound insights by traveling back and exploring your roots – and specifically, your Time Roots.

How often have you felt trapped in a rut?  Do the ruts, or the feelings you get (and the messages you give yourself) have a familiar ring?

And then reflect on how often you have later learned a far more rewarding way to accomplish a task?  Well, such potentials to set yourself free are just waiting for you …

Your family’s time choices shape you from your first breath. Like fish swimming through water, oblivious to its presence, we often remain unaware of just how needlessly we hem ourselves in. The time legacy you learn as a child still moves through you like an invisible force – until you turn the spotlight on it!

So, I encourage you to explore your time roots … and watch the possibilities blossom!  Tomorrow I’ll be back with some specific questions you can ask yourself as you continue this Heart-Based Journey.

And as you continue your journey, transforming yourself and your relationship with time, consider this:  Are you an entrepreneur, consultant, or small business owner who’s ready to take the next big step?  If you want to learn how to create and to keep a successful business running on your own, then this is for you! “How to Create Credibility as a Freelancer” is a booklet with 70 expert-proven tips that will help you recharge your energy and motivation, increase your visibility, and sharpen those vital organizational and time management skills.

Success is within your reach, so don’t wait, click this link and get started today!  http://bit.ly/FreelanceTips

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Founded in 2006 by Alan Levy and co-founder Bob Charish, BlogTalkRadio was, according to Wikipedia, originally intended to provide another venue for bloggers to connect with their readers.  Since its inception, BlogTalkRadio has grown into, well, here’s how they describe themselves on their website:

BlogTalkRadio allows anyone, anywhere the ability to host a live talk radio show online, simply by using a telephone and a computer. BlogTalkRadio’s unique platform, powered by Cinchcast, empowers citizen broadcasters to create and share their original content, their voices and their opinions in a worldwide public forum.

Today, BlogTalkRadio is the largest and fastest growing online talk radio network. A truly democratized medium, BlogTalkRadio has tens of thousands of hosts and millions of listeners tuning in and joining the conversation each month. Many businesses also utilize the platform as a tool to extend their brands and better communicate with the people that are most important to their business.

BlogTalkRadio offers lots of information for new users (screencast tutorials), and has both free (for shows up to 30-minutes) and paid plans.  No special software is required, and you can, quite literally, be up and running within minutes.  BlogTalkRadio is also the home of cinchcast – another powerful venue for sharing audio content.

Today I’m excited to share that I’m going to be interviewed by Sharon Ball on her show, “Reinventing Yourself with Sharon Ball” on BlogTalkRadio tonight!  If you’d like to join us, here’s the information you’ll need:

Date/Time: Monday, January 30 at 6:30 PM ET

What You’ll Hear: I’ll be talking about “Boundaries for Boomers: Proven Heart-Based Boundary Tips to Start You Living the Life of Your Dreams”

How will you find us?  You can listen to the show by clicking this link … or you can dial in at (858) 777-5903.  The radio program is free; however, if you call in, long distance charges will apply.

I hope you’ll join us as we discuss this very timely topic!  It’s one of my favorites – and a fundamental key to fashioning the kind of life you want to live.

So, are you considering using more audio?  I encourage you to explore the possibilities that BlogTalkRadio offers.

And are you interested in learning more about the Heart-Based Time Management™ Path?  Here’s one way that you can transform and deepen your relationship to time in the Heart-Based Way … I invite you to explore Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management™ – my chapter in the book I co-authored - Stepping Stones to Success!  In it I share my proven system for exploring and harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you deepen your experience of time and of your life.

As you work with the ideas I offer, you’ll explore your patterns, clarify your values, identify and prioritize your goals … and create your path for achieving them.  You can give yourself the gift of this wonderful resource today, and get started on your journey toward success, Stepping Stone by Stepping Stone …just click this link to get the details!

Let’s explore time together …

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have no material connection with BlogTalkRadio and have not received any compensation for writing this content.

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This means setting aside some time to check in with yourself periodically.  For some this might be a daily, weekly, or monthly ritual.  The more time you spend doing this (and the more often you do it) the better – but it’s important to find what works for you and to build a pattern that you can trust.

You might ask yourself something as simple as, “How are you doing today?”  Answer honestly, and strive to open up to an internal dialogue.  Let a back-and-forth evolve.  This won’t happen all at once, but as you speak and listen to yourself, you may be surprised at what you discover.

It may feel like you are getting to know a new friend.  How wonderful!

As you learn more about the State of Your Union, you will be able to adjust the ways that you work and use your time, to better fit with your true values and needs.  Keep the dialogue going as you tweak things.

You can’t predict, at the outset, where this path may lead.  But here’s one thing I can absolutely guarantee:

When your goals are in sync with your values, your head and your heart work in tandem, freeing up energy and creativity that you may not have ever known that you had!

Why, it would be like the Legislative and Executive Branches of the Government working together.  Just imagine what could be accomplished …

So, I encourage you to check in with yourself frequently about the State of Your Union.  Listen to what your head and heart have to say to each other … and watch the possibilities blossom!

And as you bring your head and heart into sync, transforming yourself and your relationship with time, consider this:  Are you an entrepreneur, consultant, or small business owner who’s ready to take the next big step?  If you want to learn how to create and to keep a successful business running on your own, then this is for you! “How to Create Credibility as a Freelancer” is a booklet with 70 expert-proven tips that will help you recharge your energy and motivation, increase your visibility, and sharpen those vital organizational and time management skills.

Success is within your reach, so don’t wait, click this link and get started today!  http://bit.ly/FreelanceTips

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• Find Time to Respect Yourself-When No Means Yes to You! (thetimefinder.com)

Who forces time is pushed back by time; who yields to time finds time on his side.  The Talmud

There are certain times – like the beginning of a New Year or the arrival of a birthday or other anniversary – that can bring the march of time to the forefront of our consciousness.  How do you feel when you come to one of those places?

I believe it’s so important to appreciate and embrace the process and experience of aging.

These tips will provide some helpful stepping stones for you.

1. Keep in mind that your process of aging occurs over time.  It doesn’t happen all at once, though it can sometimes sneak up and surprise you!  Review the last few months. Can you identify the incremental changes you’ve experiences in your energy or your efficiency?  Rather than worry about this, use your new clarity to understand that these changes are a natural part of living.  You don’t have to be surprised by them.
2. Avoid denial.  This goes right along with #1.  Be compassionate and direct (a very powerful combination) with yourself as you take in the fact that you move more slowly and it takes you longer to get things done. It can be tempting to deny the reality of these changes and to tell yourself that things will return to ‘normal’ once you are less tired or stressed. But this keeps you on the defensive and sets you up for ‘surprises’ (see #1).  You can exercise positive control by listing those tasks that now take you longer to complete … and then planning accordingly.
3. Don’t react with anger or frustration.  This might feel powerful, but in reality it does nothing but keep you stuck! It’s important to HAVE your feelings, but encourage them to flow, rather than letting them churn in whirlpools. Staying stuck in anger or frustration diverts valuable energy from examining how you can adjust to your new pace. Once you’ve let the natural feelings out, use your creativity and challenge yourself. You can craft new ways to maintain your productivity while accepting that the time required to do so may expand.
4. Don’t stay stuck in grief. Grief, like your anger, needs to flow.  That’s how you make way for the new. If your self-esteem is linked to high productivity and accomplishment, you may initially feel like you’ve ‘hit a wall’ as you slow down. However, as you acknowledge your grief and let it flow, you will find that aging opens new gateways.  If you look forward, not back, and accept your real losses (and honor your accomplishments) you can reframe this as a time to stretch, savor, and celebrate what truly matters.
5. Use humor.  Simply put, humor humanizes. Try to approach your and your friends’ complaints about the changes that aging brings with empathy and a humorous anecdote (or two)!  You see, negativity is highly contagious, but so is a pragmatic view, softened by humor!  Create an environment of acceptance … and see how it changes everything.

Want to learn more about how you can grow and optimize your time and efforts … in whatever areas you choose? Here’s a great way to explore avenues to increasing your time skills and heart-based power – whether it’s in your business, or your personal life.  I am so pleased to be able to offer my expertise and support as The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to “Time Management”.

You can visit by clicking the link, and when you do you’ll find lots of time management articles by experts in the field, along with a vibrant and welcoming on-line community. Stop by my Expert Page and leave a comment or question … or just say hello.  There are lots of ways to connect … I’d love to get started!

Related articles

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Well, now there is a new ‘player’ in the mix – Google Plus.  Not-so-new, actually, as The Economic Times reported this morning that:

Google’s online social networking service ‘Google Plus’ has crossed 90 million users mark since its launch in June.

Google Plus now has attracted 90 million users, reflecting the huge interest in the social networking site which was opened to the public on September 20. That more than doubles the 40 million that Google reported in October.

Interestingly, they note that this growth is quite a bit faster than Facebook’s was (although the social-networking landscape was significantly different back when Facebook was getting started).

Google Search Plus Your World is one of the aspects of Google Plus that makes it so powerful – AND controversial.  What does it do?  Well, here’s what they say about it in PC World:

Get ready for more Google+ data in your Google searches as the company aims to personalize your results by including more Google+ profiles, business pages, posts, and Google+ and Picasa Photos. The search giant recently announced the significant change to its search engine, calling it Search plus Your World. The new feature is baked right into Google and aims to personalize your search results by including Google+ data when you are signed into your Google account.

Many are predicting that this is likely to raise legal issues for Google down the road.  And it will definitely affect your search results, as  they are increasingly targeted to your preferences (as reflected in Google Plus).  Happily, if you don’t want your preferences to affect your Google Search results, you can change your search settings.

Here’s a brief video with some basics about how to navigate Google +.  If you’re familiar with Facebook, you’ll recognize some of the functionalities …

With the power of Google behind it, it’s hard to see how anyone wanting to boost his or her presence on the web could NOT jump on the Google Plus bandwagon.  While there remain controversies about how Google Plus is embedded in Google search results, it seems clear that this is a social-networking tool that is going to stick around (unlike some earlier attempts by Google).

So, are you getting started with Google Plus?  Let’s connect there (here’s my page and my company page) and explore it together!

And are you interested in learning more about the Heart-Based Time Management™ Path?  Here’s one way that you can transform and deepen your relationship to time in the Heart-Based Way … I invite you to explore Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management™ – my chapter in the book I co-authored - Stepping Stones to Success!  In it I share my proven system for exploring and harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you deepen your experience of time and of your life.

As you work with the ideas I offer, you’ll explore your patterns, clarify your values, identify and prioritize your goals … and create your path for achieving them.  You can give yourself the gift of this wonderful resource today, and get started on your journey toward success, Stepping Stone by Stepping Stone …just click this link to get the details!

Let’s explore time together …

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have no material connection with Google Plus, and have not received any compensation for writing this content.

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