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The Time Finder with Paula Eder

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

Find Time to Expand Your Possibilities With the 5-Minute Solution!

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Paula, under Time and Energy, Time Choices.

Finding time when time is short can be a challenge, but don’t give up. You’d be amazed at what you can accomplish in small bits of time.

In fact, as we discussed last week, the 5-Minute Solution is a practical and effective way to step out of procrastination and give yourself a path toward productivity. And the really good news? It only takes 5-minutes!

In response to that post last week, a number of readers contacted me with uses for that 5-minute span, so I thought I’d share a few, and expand the list (and the possibilities) with a 5-minute brainstorming session – right here, right now! So, here goes:

Chunk down my tasks into smaller pieces (this was from a reader);
Go for a brief walk – gets my ideas flowing again (also from a reader);
Straighten up my desk;
Send a friend an e-mail;
Post on my Facebook page;
Meditate (another idea shared by a reader);
Do some stretches;
Empty the dish drainer;
Clean out my in-box;
Pay a bill;
Journal;
Do some jumping jacks;
Doodle;
Take a quick shower;
Start a shopping list;
Surf the web;
Write a quick note to a friend or colleague (to be mailed);
Spend 5 minutes just starting somewhere on a writing project;
etc.

Does this list spark any ideas for you? Notice how there are really two categories of activities here – and both can be very helpful.

On the one hand, something like chunking your tasks or just starting to write is directly task oriented and aimed at getting you unstuck by getting you started.

On the other hand, something like meditating or doing jumping jacks will help get you started, too – but by stepping away and doing something very different.

What works best for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Just take 5-minutes and jot me a note! ;>)

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!

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Find Time This Spring to Let Go and Make Changes

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Paula, under Time and Energy, Time Choices.

Finding time to make the changes that you value in your life is always going to involve letting go. You let go of something old and replace it with something new.

In many ways, it’s just that simple. However, letting go is a layered and sometimes quite challenging process. As we discussed yesterday, even seeing what you might want to let go of requires willingness and a commitment to open yourself to clear vision. We live our days embedded in our habitual ways of being. To step aside from that and see it clearly takes courage … and time. And it’s a very good investment of your time!

After you’ve got a realistic sense of where you are, think about what you’d like to change. Is there an activity that you’d like to add to your day? Let’s say that you feel the need to build in time for more exercise. How can you go about doing that in a way that optimizes your ability to follow through?

Well. after you’ve recognized something that you’d like to change, the next step is to break it down further. How much time do you want to give to this activity? Will you do it once a day? More often? Be as specific as possible, because this begins to give you some sense of what you are going to need to let go of.

Next, go back and re-look at what you saw when you surveyed your day. Is there anything that you’d like to let go of that jumps right out at you? That’s the easiest place to start – the activities that you are ready and willing to jettison. If that doesn’t give you enough time for what you want to add, then you may need to trim time in other areas, or shuffle your schedule around.

What’s key here is that you first identify something positive that you want to add to your daily activities. That gives you an affirmative reason for letting go of things that you may not feel are helpful – or just aren’t as high on your priority list.

It’s not easy to let go of something you are used to – whether it’s a net positive or a net negative in your life. That’s why replacing it, proactively, with an activity that you value, will go a long way toward ensuring your success!

Are you interested in exploring letting go and making change some more … and 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.

Find Time to Fuel Your Resilience With Empowered Compassion™ (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Listen and Learn What You Need (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time for Empowered Compassion™ (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Be Yourself, Respect Yourself, and Do What You Can: 3 Timely Tips-Part 1 (thetimefinder.com)

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Find Time to Fuel Your Resilience With Empowered Compassion™

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Paula, under Time and Energy, Time Transformation.

Finding time to deal with life’s ups and downs, staying on track and keeping your eye on the prize, even as circumstances shift can be a big challenge. Empowered Compassion™ can help you bounce back, no matter what kinds of changes confront you. How?

Well, Empowered Compassion™ gains power from its underlying paradox. It embraces – even celebrates – opposites.

Empowered Compassion™ embodies yin and yang, inhalation and exhalation, acceptance and striving …

Empowerment, of course, is the masculine, or yang, component. When you empower yourself, your core strengths support you, keeping you upright yet flexible. Empowerment works like toned core muscles, keeping you steady no matter what comes your way.

You embrace challenges, knowing that solving problems supports your evolution.
You are defined and focused as you tend your boundaries. These boundaries protect the hours of your day as a force field of intentionality.
You are realistic and alert to life’s constant changes.
You take pleasure in creating goals, large or small.

Compassion is the feminine, receptive yin. And it’s important to note that it enhances your strength just as much as the yang – but in very different ways. Here are some examples:

Your empathy towards yourself and others helps you to create and maintain a balanced perspective.
Compassion provides a natural antidote to perfectionism. Self-acceptance overpowers a swarm of perfectionist pests like fearful people-pleasing, procrastination, and over-polishing work. Think of how that can free up both your energy and your time!
Because compassion sees and accepts everything without judging or punishing, it becomes easier for you to befriend and learn from mistakes. So you approach challenges with curiosity rather than fear.

Empowered Compassion™ is a central component of Heart Based Time Management™. Stay tuned, because I’ll be sharing more about this key value in the months to come. Empowered Compassion™ provides each of us with a method for bringing our integrated strengths into every moment.

Are you interested in exploring your resilience further and 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.

Find Time to Recover: 3 Keys for Healing and Resilience (thetimefinder.com)
Finding Time to Stop Living Someone Else’s Life (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Be Yourself, Respect Yourself, and Do What You Can: 3 Timely Tips-Part 1 (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Listen and Learn What You Need (thetimefinder.com)

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Find Time to Cultivate Courage-Today’s Timely Tip

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Paula, under Time Choices.

Finding time can help you take your first step on a promising new path. But why is it important to cultivate courage for this journey?

Well, for starters, it’s not always easy to say “No” to old pastimes or habits. Change is a challenge that involves letting go and, sometimes, disappointing friends and/or family members who want you to stick with the ‘old way.’

In addition, new adventures carry you into unknown territory with new learning curves. Perhaps an extra helping of courage is called for!

Here’s today’s timely tip, to help you cultivate courage as you make time choices in the coming year. In upcoming blog posts, I’ll offer additional tips for how you can cultivate all the courage you need, slowly and steadily, day by day.

Today’s Timely Tip: Courage grows from small beginnings.

All oak trees begin as acorns. Like the mighty oak, your courage may take root with a simple, acorn-sized intention.

That is really all you need to initiate a powerful process of growth. You needn’t possess superhuman powers of foresight to predict how things will turn out. You needn’t even be sure of the next step! Your resolution can be to grow in a certain direction rather than arrive at a destination. Then you are fulfilling your purpose every day.

Action Step: Approach your intention with warm, non-judgmental curiosity.

Brainstorm ideas about where you’d like to be taking new risks. What guideposts will you look for? If you’re embarking on a significant shift in your life, consider keeping a journal to trace your evolution. And regularly schedule a certain period of time to engage in your new activity. Consistency is a foundation of courage.

BONUS TIP: By focusing on the process rather than a distant or lofty outcome, you also pace yourself sustainably. Remember, as you evolve, any courage and skills you may now lack will have time to grow along with you.

What will be your next step as you cultivate courage for your journey?

And if you are interested in learning more about the Heart-Based 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.

Let’s explore time together …

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Find Time to Do What You Can Because You Can Absolutely Thrive in 2012!

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Paula, under Time Boundaries, Time Choices.

Finding time is always a challenge, and when you have big dreams and goals, it can really feel overwhelming. That’s why I so love the third in our series of quotes … because when you do what you can, absolutely anything is possible.

To do what you can isn’t about skill or ability so much as it is about choice and will. Here is the quotation, the third in our series, from someone who might be called an authority on doing what one can … Helen Keller:

I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but I still can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do. Helen Keller

There are 3 keys here, to my mind.

One is to be able to see, in any given moment, what is possible. Sometimes this means “chunking” your tasks into smaller pieces so that they are doable in smaller increments of time. Other times it may mean simply starting in on an item on your To Do List. I know from experience that often a job that looks overwhelming from the outside, becomes quite manageable as soon as you begin. So don’t be afraid to begin!

The second key really reinforces the first. It has to do with boundaries and with fully assimilating and accepting that you are one. You cannot be all things to all people. You are you, and that is plenty. The more you can take this in the better you will be able to keep your eye on what is possible, rather than getting caught up in all of the possibilities!

The third key is to be willing to do what you can. That’s what Helen Keller is speaking about in her final sentence, above.

These two keys: vision and willingness will enable you to thrive during 2012 … and that is my heartfelt wish for you as we travel the path of Heart-Based Time Management™ together. Happy New Year!

And as you embark on 2012, 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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Find Time When You Need It Most Using Timely Flexible Focus

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Paula, under Time and Energy, Time Management Skills.

Finding time to develop flexible focus helps you select the right tools for each situation you face.

If you’ve wondered exactly where flexible focus can help you, here are some classic scenarios where this tool can give you a timely boost:

Training new employees.
Starting a new job.
Collaborating closely with a colleague who has a different work style.
Introducing/Integrating new people or projects into busy schedules.
Balancing work and home demands.

Do you face any of these challenges now? Or, do any of these bring to mind other times when you have been stretched too thin and felt like you were spinning your wheels in mud?

Take special note of the situations that stand out for you. Write them down as a first step, keeping in mind that challenges become much more manageable when you move them out of your head and onto a page.

Then, as we mentioned in our first post about Flexible Focus, take these two key and timely steps:

Internalize the power: Take time to travel within and create a heart-based approach to the personal challenge that you are facing; and
Externalize the tasks: Do some brainstorming about what systems you can develop to keep things running smoothly.

You start to benefit as soon as you realize that certain situations call for Flexible Focus.

Mindfulness during these times will broaden your perspective. You’ll find it easier to be patient with yourself and others, too. And then from that base, you are freed up to brainstorm creative solutions and responses to whatever challenges you face.

Finally, at the end of the day, give yourself a few moments to reflect. Envision how using flexible focus has sent ripples of fresh energy to you throughout your day, and take a deep, relaxing breath of gratitude!

Are you feeling ready to start using flexible focus to find time when you need it most? What does that process look like for you? Picture it, make it real, and drop me a line – I’d love to hear how it goes!

And are you interested in deepening your relationship to time in the Heart-Based Way? Then, 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 …