Savor summer without regret.
Living without creating regrets for yourself is a skill that you develop with practice. And learning to live without regrets can feel more challenging when urgency intrudes.
Urgency? Here’s how you might feel it…
Time is passing. Summer is waning. And how are you doing on fulfilling your summer plans and dreams? As the days slip away, the desire to “do it all” and avoid regrets contributes to an undercurrent of urgency that makes it difficult to stay in the moment.
And that, in turn, creates more regrets.
Summer and Time
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, it’s not unusual to see 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 in each moment. 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:
- 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. - 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. - 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 here’s something more to help…
Do you ever feel like life is coming at you too fast and you’re getting lost in the shuffle?
Are you feeling at sea and rudderless? Unclear about what your priorities even are?
Well, a time tool what I want to tell you about today is my E-Guide titled “Why Can’t I find My Direction?” 17 Journaling Prompts to Create Your Ideal Life.
This E-Guide gets right down to business as it walks you through 17 journaling prompts aimed at helping you come to a deeper understanding of
- Who you are,
- What you value,
- What makes you tick and
- How you relate to your time choices.
Understanding any ONE of these things more fully is a great gift to give yourself. So I invite you follow your heart as you clarify your priorities and find your direction with “Why Can’t I find My Direction?” 17 Journaling Prompts to Create Your Ideal Life.
Click the link below to discover more about what’s possible for you.
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