The Time Finder with Paula Eder

The way you use your time is the way you live your life.

Regrets? Say No to Them With These 3 Timely Tips

Posted on August 8, 2012, under Time Priorities.

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Time is passing.  Can you feel it?  As summer wanes, the desire to “do it all” and avoid regrets often creates a sense of urgency that makes it difficult to stay in the moment.

Summer can be such a tantalizing and confounding time.  In June the season seems to stretch ahead endlessly, offering long, soft evenings and plenty of time for outdoor fun.  But time passes, and before you know it, you feel like autumn is nipping at your heels.  Here in New Hampshire, over the past 72 hours we’ve seen a 40-degree shift in temperatures, going from mid-summer heat to early fall crispness in a matter of hours!  You can feel it in the air and see it in the late-day light; summer is drawing to a close.

It’s the finiteness of time that makes our moments so precious.  At the same time, this limit can lead us to worries about missed opportunities and regrets.  But the good news is that you have the power of choice! While you can’t do everything, you can certainly limit your regrets … and here are 3 Timely Tips to help you do just that:

Set Priorities and Banish Regrets

Knowing what your priorities are is the key element in making sure that when you look back over a span of time, you don’t experience the pang of lost moments and missed opportunities.  So here are 3 tips that you can implement right now, to make sure that September doesn’t bring regrets about how you spent your time in August:

  1. Brainstorm.  Find a comfortable spot and relax there.  Think about your time and brainstorm everything that you’d like to pour into your moments.  Don’t exclude anything – just let the hopes, dreams, and ideas flow.  This is your baseline starting point for creating your time priorities.
  2. Quantify and Cull.  Now that you have your BIG list, it’s time to determine how long the items will take, and start paring it down.  First, scan your list.  Is there anything obvious that you can let go of  right away, without creating regrets for yourself?  If so, cross off those items.  Then, take what remains and start assigning quick timeframes to each item.  This may help you cull some more, and will definitely aid in your next step.
  3. Prioritize and Finalize.  Next, you’re going to prioritize the items you have left on your list.  The time frames help you be realistic about what is possible.  As well, if some activities have a specific time that they must take place (like a birthday celebration or some other scheduled event), be sure to note that on your list.  When you have finished prioritizing, finalize your list by including just your Top 5 Priorities.

BONUS TIP:  You avoid regrets by assuring that you’ll address your top 5 time priorities.  But you’re not limited to just these 5.  As you move through your list and find that you still have time, you can move on to lower priority items.  What this time skill gives you is less stress and a heightened ability to be in the moment and enjoy your time to its fullest!

And would you like 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 … let’s get started!

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