time boundary - The Time Finder with Paula Eder

The Time Finder with Paula Eder

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

Find Time to Make Your Morning Ritual Sparkle

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Paula, under Self-Care Time, Time and Energy.

Finding time is a wonderful event. So, why not celebrate it with special time for yourself at the start of the day? A morning ritual offers a chance to celebrate your accomplishments and just being YOU, and gives you a reliable energy boost, first thing, each and every day.

Today I’m extending our exploration of morning rituals with a few tips for creating a most enticing treat for yourself as you begin each new day:

Tip #1: Create a heart-felt intention to energize your ritual each morning.

What a straightforward way to bring happiness into your day! Tune in, and open your morning ritual by inviting yourself to express what activity (or lack of activity) would feel most welcome.

Speaking your intention aloud helps attune you to your feelings and to the sense of ease you experience in your body. As you close up your ritual, validate that you have given yourself this gift because you care about yourself. On some level, you are always listening to yourself. Kind words are always welcome.

Tip #2: Plant the seeds for a fulfilling morning ritual the night before.

As you drift off to sleep, you are especially receptive to positive suggestions. So envision fully immersing yourself in the pleasure of your upcoming morning ritual the evening beforehand. Allow the pleasure to add a few more rays of brightness to the day you are ending. You’ll awaken from sleep more refreshed and prepared for your special time.

Tip #3: Let your ritual honor your essential self.

What makes you unique? Do you follow a path of intention that guides you when challenges arise? Rituals can be opportunities to turn an appreciative eye inward. Ask yourself meaningful questions, and allow any answers or images to arise intuitively. You may be surprised by what pops up!

Notice what happens when you actively validate who you are. In fact, consider spending a few minutes in front of the mirror. What do you need to hear today? Tell yourself, and take it in.

And before I forget, here’s an important reminder: Melissa McCreery’s “Too Much on Her Plate Week!” is nearly over. Melissa created this week-long holiday to help busy, high-achieving people – (sound familiar?) – take control of their lives and make lasting changes to create more success. There’s still time to access the great (FREE) gifts that she has collected for you, but she is closing it down at the end of the day TODAY!

So, while there’s still time, why not go to http://TooMuchOnHerPlateWeek.com and sign up? As soon as you do, you’ll be able to select which gifts you want to receive. It’s as simple as that!

Here’s one more idea for taking your next step toward time success. Sign up for our free gift, “The New Finding Time Boundary Template: 9 Simple, Sequential Steps to Find More Time and Recharge Your Energy!”

This time template will help you move beyond overwhelm, disappointment, and frustration. Using a workbook format, with room to record your answers, you will discover that 24 hours really are enough!

Finding Time the Heart-Based Way Every Day-3 Time Tips (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Create a Morning Ritual: The Heart-Based Way to Start Your Day! (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Make Your Morning Ritual Truly Yours: More Time Tips (thetimefinder.com)

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Find Time to Stop Making Yourself Feel Guilty: Timely Tip #1

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Paula, under Time and Energy, Time Boundaries, Time Choices.

Finding time and then enjoying the time you find can feel like an act of courage sometimes! That is especially true when there are voices (both inside you and around you) telling you that your time doesn’t really belong to you. Perhaps they tell you that you owe it to others, instead.

Rather than allowing these nagging voices to make you feel guilty, how about introducing another, adult voice to the mix? Your calm, rational, adult voice will ask a very fundamental question: Is this the truth? Or is it merely a myth?

Then, it’s always very helpful to break down these messages that make you feel guilty – be as specific as you can about what you (or others) are saying. One very common myth you might tell yourself is:

I just can’t let people down, when they have such high expectations of me!

Now this myth might feel very real to you. Your desire to please those you care about may be very strong. The problem is, when others’ expectations come first, your priorities have to come last. Or else, you carry a constant burden of guilt and fear, anticipating others’ disappointment at every turn.

Does this feel familiar? If you are ready to stop making yourself feel guilty, here is your opportunity to initiate some freeing changes in how you relate. Your adult message to counter this myth is:

Regardless of what others may believe, I am not obligated to meet their expectations.

Acting on this can feel terrifying at first. But with practice, declaring your independence from others’ expectations will feel quite liberating. In fact, you may discover that important relationships grow more resilient as you develop your assertiveness and authenticity. And you’ll use your time in more rewarding ways!

Here’s a helpful affirmation you can use as you reclaim your time, especially when you start to feel guilty about your time choices:

Others have a right to their feelings, and I have a right to use my time in ways that align with my deepest values.

Allowing others the space to have their feelings, and empowering yourself to not feel guilty when you make self-affirming choices are very powerful, heart-based time management tools.

Are you ready for the next step of this journey? Stay tuned for two more timely tips to help you stop making yourself feel guilty. And in the meanwhile, let me know what you’re discovering - I’d love to hear!

And speaking of this time management journey, I want to remind you that I am 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!

So, what if you could find another hour every day? You can! You can explore some practical and effective options for taking charge of your time by signing up for our free gift – “The New Finding Time Boundary Template: 9 Simple, Sequential Steps to Find More Time and Recharge Your Energy!” Claim it and see how you can recharge your energy, reduce overwhelm and frustration, and come to learn that 24 hours really ARE enough!

Find Time to Prepare, Adjust and Carry On When Life Throws You a Curve (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Banish Guilt and Revitalize Yourself Today! (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Use Your Choices to Move Into Your Power-3 Time Truths (thetimefinder.com)

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Find Time to Go Green With Your Info Products, Too

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Paula, under Time Management Skills.

Finding time is a challenge for everyone – and perhaps especially so for solopreneurs. When you are managing a business, producing products, interacting with customers … and also striving to live your moments fully and find time for what matters most … time management tips can be real life-savers.

That’s why it’s so important that you pay attention to this time tip: Go Green with Your Info Products. You see, going green doesn’t need to be only about our stewardship of the planet. Let it include how you think about your time.

How would that work with your info products? Basically, to borrow a wonderful expression from a recent blog post by Michelle Shaeffer, it means making sure that you “Re-use, Rewrite, Recycle” the content that you create.

Think about it this way: You have invested time and energy in what you have created, and there are many, many ways that it can be shared. Don’t limit yourself to just one or two formats or venues. For example, when people sign up for our Finding Time Success Kit, they receive, along with our Finding Time Boundary Template, a subscription to our e-zine, and a weekly Time Management Tip in their in-box.

Taking the tips as an example, each and every one of them can be expanded into an article or a blog post, and can be shared as Tweets. Likewise, if I write a blog post that includes some tips, these can then be added to our Time Tips collection, to be shared with everyone on our list. And don’t forget press releases – another excellent vehicle for sharing your free content and enhancing your presence on the web.

When I publish an e-zine article at EzineArticles.com, I am already thinking about ways that it can be repurposed. Maybe I can break it up into several blog posts … or expand it into a free report to share with my list. The possibilities, when you start thinking about it, really are endless.

Connie Ragen Green is another source for excellent ideas about repurposing your content to make the most of your time. As she notes, this is not only a way to work more efficiently – it also honors the fact that you are communicating with a wide variety of people, each having different preferences and learning styles:

Everyone has a different learning style and wants to consume information in a way that is comfortable for them. You can start with one article and end up with ten or more different methods of distributing that same information out to your prospects. Think about how you can turn your ideas into written material, audio recordings, and video in order to get your message out to those who want to learn more from you.

So, are you ready to start repurposing your info products? Think about going green, not just in terms of your stewardship of the planet … but of your own time and energy. Finding time gets easier and easier, the more you let your content work for you!

Are you inspired to find time and increase your effectiveness? Here’s a new option for following The Time Finder … we are now available at Amazon, so you can follow The Time Finder on your Kindle. You can try it out for 14 days FREE, then continue to receive new content, right on your Kindle, every time we post!

So, what if you could find another hour every day? You can! You are invited to sign up for your FREE Finding Time Success Kit. It puts 3 key tools for your time success right into your hands! Grab it and see how you can recharge your energy, reduce overwhelm and frustration, and come to learn that 24 hours really ARE enough!

Let’s explore time together …

Are you ready to get more mileage out of your content? (buildabetterblog.com)
5 Ways to Repurpose Content for Social Media (businessinsider.com)
Find Time to Avoid Productivity Traps and Keep Moving! (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Avoid Productivity Traps -5 Time Tips for You to Use Today! (thetimefinder.com)
Find Time to Connect with New Content Quickly and Creatively with Zemanta (thetimefinder.com)

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Find Time by Changing the Steps of the Dance – Gracefully

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Paula, under Time Boundaries.

Finding time to take a new step forward doesn’t have to mean two steps backward, as the saying goes. No indeed … but whenever you do something new, any number of interactions may shift, subtly or dramatically, in response. A step forward by you can transform how you move through your moments … and your day. And to borrow another adage (one that I prefer in this context), “When the steps change, so does the dance.”

I just love the proactivity and creativity of thinking about it this way! When you’re setting time boundaries to find more time, you’re really taking positive control when you factor in time to establish a new dance … gracefully. Fewer toes will get stepped on – and your progress will be that much smoother!

Setting a new time boundary will often initiate a chain reaction. That’s because change, whether large or small, disrupts the invisible network of understandings that have evolved over time. Any number of “deals”, real or imagined, may underlie your old arrangements. Most are not articulated and many may not even be consciously understood.

So, as you initiate changes, be prepared for others to renegotiate their end of things, too. Accepting this in advance means you won’t be surprised by it. It’ll be a new step in the dance!

Do your best to not personalize their choices, and to know that this dance is fluid and evolving. The steps are not set in stone; and all that you have control over is your end of it. The more practical and cooperative you are, the better your chances for a successful transition to a new dance.

Before you set new boundaries, prepare for discussions to work out details. Sort out where you want to actively sponsor certain ideas, and where others can exercise initiative. Here are some good questions to ask yourself as you get started:

In what areas can you move ahead independently?
What issues require consensus?
What sort of consensus and cooperation will be needed?
What falls within your area of responsibility?
What outcomes can you let go of?
Where are you willing to compromise?
What is non-negotiable?

Many win/win options may exist! So consider doing some extensive brainstorming before setting boundaries that change the steps in your dances significantly. Then you’ll be well prepared to craft satisfying resolutions.

How do you set time boundaries in your life now? How has this impacted the dance of your days? I’d love to hear your experiences with this … and what you think!

What if you could find another hour every day? You can! You are invited to sign up for your FREE Finding Time Success Kit. It puts 3 key tools for your time success right into your hands! Grab it and see how you can recharge your energy, reduce overwhelm and frustration, and come to learn that 24 hours really ARE enough!

Let’s explore time together …

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Find Time When You Need It: Learn to Set Successful Time Boundaries

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Paula, under Time Boundaries, Time Choices.

Finding Time when you need it often boils down to a matter of saying “No” to one thing in order to say “Yes” to another.

These choices don’t necessarily involve other people. Maybe you are contemplating an internal time boundary – one where you need to let go of an old pastime so that you can create space in your life for a new interest or project. Or maybe it’s an external boundary and you find that you are dreading saying that “No” to others whose cooperation you’d really like.

Either way, here’s a tip that I find very helpful:

Successful time boundaries = Specific time boundaries.

Being as specific as possible about the boundary helps because it provides a frame for the change that you are initiating. Change can be a challenge – and it’s a lot easier to navigate new territory when the parameters are clearly defined.

For example, let’s say you are working on creating your Power Sanctuary. This is a change for you and, perhaps, for the people in your circle. Knowing exactly when your private time starts and when you’ll be available again helps define the size and shape of the change.

A clear time boundary relieves anxiety about the unknown for others … and maybe for you as well. In addition, knowing that you have set aside uninterrupted time will help you feel more relaxed and focused in the moment. So when you are planning to take time for yourself (or for anything that requires a time boundary), spell out the time frame you have in mind.

Setting clear-cut time boundaries sends a number of important messages. And, again, these are messages that may be as important for you to hear and assimilate as for others in your life!

It shows you’ve given this step plenty of thought.

It indicates that you intend to follow through.

It demonstrates that you know when your time choices affect others.

Clear boundaries enable you to follow through in a way that’s easy to see. When you follow through consistently, you are showing respect, strengthening trust, and nurturing good will.

Finally, it pays to do some homework before setting a time boundary. If you’re embarking on a new enterprise, see how realistically you can estimate the time involved.

So, if you’re staring a project, figure out how much time you will need to plan, get supplies, solve problems, and complete the work to your satisfaction. When estimating the time, be generous with yourself, and remember the Times Two Rule! It’s so much more satisfying to finish ahead of schedule than it is to run late and risk inconveniencing others. – undermining that trust and good will you had been building!

Finally – what’s the greatest thing about setting specific (and successful) time boundaries? Each time you practice this skill, you’ll feel encouraged to exercise still more positive power over your time. As you build your boundary-setting skills you’ll enjoy an upward spiral of success!

Do you find it challenging to set and maintain time boundaries? Why not give it a try this week? Start with something small and very specific … and let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear!

Let’s explore time together …

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Find Time for June’s Top 5 Time Finder Favorites on July 5th!

Posted on July 5, 2010 by Paula, under Time After Time.

Finding time to look back over the past month’s favorite Time Finder Posts is always fun … and this month is no different. If you’re in the States, maybe you are still celebrating the 4th of July Holiday. I invite you take a moment to read, enjoy, and reflect on these posts that Time Finder readers were especially drawn to in June …

Topping the list was a post we shared the morning after our teleclass with Wendy Battles-Plasse. Titled Finding Time to Pick 25 Pounds of Blueberries – Clean Eating Tips from Wendy Battles-Plasse! it explored some of the practical and life-enhancing tips that Wendy shared in the teleclass last month. (Here’s another tip: You can still get the FREE MP3 of that class – just read to the end of this post and you’ll find the info you need to sign up.)

Second among your favorites was “Finding Time to Deal with Disappointment Gracefully” – our post about dealing with the curveballs that life sometimes throws us!

Finding Time by Being Flexible-3 Timely Tips! is a perennial favorite that weighs in at #3 on our list. Check it out and learn how you can be in charge of your time choices, no matter what!

Our Cyber Monday series usually makes the list of top posts at least once, and last month was no exception. The top vote-getter was Find Time and Lots of Tweets Using Twitter Search on Cyber Monday. Have you tried using the Twitter search function? Saved any searches? Used any of the special operators? If not, you may want to give this post another look!

And last, but definitely not least, is a post about setting time boundaries titled Find the Time You Need by Setting a Time Boundary Using the Times Two Rule! Give yourself a gift this coming month when planning your time … try using the Times Two Rule!

Speaking of gifts to yourself … are you ready to explore your healthiest life? Ready to explore and consider some changes?

The MP3 of my interview with Nutritionist and Clean Eating Coach Wendy Battles-Plasse is just the thing for you! We explored how you can “Start Living Your Healthiest Life Today: Timely Tips on Clean Eating, Self-Awareness and the Power of Prevention.” We’ll send it to everyone who signs up on our teleclass page. This was a jam-packed, info-filled call … and it’s not too late to learn all about healthy eating and prevention from one of the best!

Let’s explore time together …

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