Finding time to actively welcome and appreciate each moment can liven up your day.  And something as simple as changing how you view deadlines can help.

So, if you feel haunted by the upcoming red circles on your calendar, how about trying a fresh way of working with them?  Approaching your deadlines differently and concluding your tasks in a timely manner definitely regenerates your Priority Power™.

Let’s start with the basics in your approach to your deadlines.  First and foremost, “deadlines” sound so … dead.  I prefer to think of them as “due dates”, instead.

What a positive re-framing of the concept.  Each completed task not only marks the end of something – it also “births” new possibilities!

Notice how planning for “due dates” can help you focus with anticipation, not dread. This powerful-yet-simple renaming encourages you to stay on task and also to think ahead to the next chapter of your work.

When your goal is something that you view as positive, then obstacles (including distractions that appeal to you) become impediments that keep you from something you desire.  Each time a temptation threatens your success, it becomes easier to steer clear.  And procrastination becomes less of an issue, too – because you have prioritized your projects, charted a destination and developed a clear and positive path to follow to success.

Are there time topics that you’d like to read more about here?  Please feel invited to drop me a line – I’d love to hear from you and serve your time finding needs!

So, 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 … let’s get started!

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!

Finding time to get everything done in a day doesn’t always leave a lot of space for giving yourself what you need.  And did you know that what you need includes movement?

If you spend a lot of time working on-line, your day might easily have you glued to the computer hour upon hour.  It can be engrossing work, but in order to be productive and take good care of yourself, it’s imperative that you find time to move.

Notice, I didn’t say find time to exercise.  That is very important, too – but right now it’s really just moving that I am talking about.   And all you need is a minute to give yourself what you need.

You see, our bodies are built to move.  Inside, we are perpetually moving, as our hearts beat, our blood flows, and our in-breaths are followed by out-breaths.  Sitting still for hours on end is a strain.  It leaves our bodies stiffening while our energy pools and gets sluggish.

The solution?

I suggest that you make sure that you create brief Movement Moments for yourself every 45-minutes or so.  Use a timer if that helps you stay on track.  At 45-minute intervals stop what you are doing, get up, and move in whatever way feels good to you.  (Do this in privacy, if you can, so that you don’t feel constrained.)  Here are some ideas for what you could do:

• Jumping jacks;
• Leg lunges;
• Lifting small weights;
• Going up and down stairs;
• Doing sit-up’s or leg-lifts;
• Stretching;
• Whatever feels right at the moment!

Do the movements you choose vigorously for about a minute, then go back to work.  It hardly interrupts your flow, and it offers immense refreshment while it also gets your energy flowing again.

In addition, this kind of movement helps you avoid injury and health issues that can arise from lives that, while very busy, can also be very sedentary.

As you give yourself the gift of Movement Moments throughout your day, notice how they affect your energy, focus, and productivity.  Try keeping track of this for a week, and see what you discover.

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!

Finding Time to accept all of who you are is a gentle, deliberate process that will transform your time and give you a solid base for action.  That’s because being your most productive self, your most empowered self, means being your WHOLE self.  And that’s where Empowered Compassion™ comes in.

Like the in-breath that is followed by the out-breath, Empowered Compassion™ offers you exactly what you need from moment-to-moment so that you can not just survive, but thrive in this life.

Acceptance = Access:  When you accept all of you, you give yourself access to all of you.  And you need to have access to your fullest self to live each moment richly, abundantly, and successfully! Think about it.

Would you want to try to build a house or type up a business proposal with one arm tied behind your back?  But, if you wall off mistakes, embarrassments, or painful or troubling parts of yourself, you are hampering your efforts in just that way.

Compassion changes all of that and gives you full access to all of you.  Try this brief exercise and see how quickly compassion can open and transform this very moment for you:

Soft Goes Deep

• Find a comfortable spot , settle in, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and relax.
• Picture your compassionate self approaching from a distance.  Watch as she draws closer and closer.  How do you feel as she draws near?
• Think back to a time when you were afraid or troubled and needed support.  Let you compassionate self’s heart fill with warm and welcoming love – the same as you’d offer a friend in need.
• What do you want to ask of your compassionate self?  Let yourself soften and ask for what you need.
• Listen and let your compassionate self respond from her heart, giving you what you need freely and lovingly.
• How does it feel to soften and fully experience this warm exchange?  You are empowering yourself with compassion in a new way, as you come back to this present moment.

Notice how you can see what you need and access it from your compassionate self anytime you soften and travel within.  You possess the power to deepen your self-knowledge and self-acceptance right now.  And it doesn’t have to take a lot of time. This is really as much about finding heart as it is about finding time.

And the truly great news is that when you find heart you transform your time!  When you cultivate Empowered Compassion™ your courage and self-acceptance accompany you into the next moment.

As you befriend yourself and your mistakes, lessons emerge and you are enriched.  Then, as you love and accept yourself more, you find it easier to love and accept others.  You own more of your life and this enables you to remain centered, focused, and productive amidst the heat and noise of living.  Cultivating Empowered Compassion™ is a lifelong journey, and each small step is important.

So to find heart and transform your time, take these steps:

• Slow down.
• Listen deep.
• Befriend your whole self.

As you open from the inside with Empowered Compassion™, notice how this transforms your experience of yourself, of others, and of your time.

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!

Related articles

• Find Time to Fuel Your Resilience With Empowered Compassion™ (thetimefinder.com)
• Find Time for Empowered Compassion™ (thetimefinder.com)
• Find Time to Put a Little Love in Your Heart (thetimefinder.com)

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.

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!

Related articles

• 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)

Finding time to make the most of your moments sometimes means letting go of the old, to let in the new – spring cleaning for your mind, if you will!

“You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.” Louise Smith

The weather here in New Hampshire has been unseasonably warm lately, and even though it’s still just the middle of March, I find my thoughts gravitating toward the turning of the season and the coming green.  And along with that shift come thoughts of another ritual – spring cleaning!

The concreteness and power of this activity is something that I always look forward to on the farm, as we open windows to fresh air, let ourselves stretch in the expanding light, and breathe in a sense of renewal and rejuvenation.  Almost like riding a wave of energy, I also like to stretch and expand the concept of spring cleaning, so that it includes not only clearing out winter’s debris and hanging out the clean sheets to snap and flap in the March wind, but also cleaning out old habits and thoughts that trip us up and keep us stuck.

As with any spring cleaning, what’s first necessary is a pause – an in-breath as you step back and survey the lay of the land.  Let yourself just-see-what-is. Maybe clutter catches your eye – or maybe it’s some habits that you’re ready to let go of.

That’s the thing with clutter and habits – they become so embedded that we don’t even notice them. So it’s very important to pause and take in your landscape as if you’ve never seen it before. That way you’ll notice some of the things that may be tripping you up.

Once you know where you are and what’s around you, then you can begin to think about making changes.  Stay tuned, as we set about exploring that next step … letting go and making changes …  in your spring cleaning journey!

And in the meantime, 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 … let’s get started!

Related articles

• Find Time to Fuel Your Resilience With Empowered Compassion™ (thetimefinder.com)
• 3 Heart-Based Time Management™ Tips to Help You Find Time for a Lion-Hearted Holiday! (thetimefinder.com)
• Finding Time to Enjoy the Ride: 5 Timely Tips about Time and Aging! (thetimefinder.com)
• Find Time for Empowered Compassion™ (thetimefinder.com)