Work-Life integration may be all about Time—but not only about you and your particular issues with time. Humans have been preoccupied with time forever.
First, we tracked the moon, sun, and stars to tell us when to sleep and eat, and then it was calendars to help us optimize seasonal effects on migration and agriculture. Now we have clocks, watches, smartphones…and they are everywhere on everybody.
But look how long we have been struggling with time. From the ancient Hindu scriptures, Bhagavad Gita, circa 2nd century BCE:
I am come as Time, the waster of peoples, Ready for the hour, that ripens to their ruin.
Wait, how did this happen. Time was something we humans invented to help us to survive and to thrive. And yet, we still haven’t exactly gotten the hang of how we can keep it from killing us instead. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Yes we can—take back our power over the Tyranny of Time with a little discipline over the mind.
There are so many time management techniques. For example, you can make 2 Pie Charts. One Real Time; one Ideal Time. Segment each pie into things that matter for you. Work, Family, Leisure, Chores, Exercise…whatever you like, and don’t forget Sleep. So important for your health, happiness, and productivity, Sleep.
Now that you have a visual aid for how you are spending your time (Real), how you would rather be spending your time (Ideal), you can figure out what steps to take to start closing that gap between Real and Ideal.
Take care that the new habit you intend to build is not so big that you won’t really do it. Even very small steps in a new and better direction delight, inspire, and encourage the mind to keep going.
Now, let’s say you know you simply cannot cut back on work you need to do. Here’s something for you. Researchers found that the mind wanders a whopping 70% of the time. Research also indicates that you will likely be happier when you take back some of that 70% to actually focus on what you are doing. And more productive too. When you take the mind wandering waste out of your process time, you’ll be freeing up energy for other things that matter enough to show up on your Ideal pie chart.
Easier said than done you say? You’ve tried and the mind keeps on doing what it does. 70% of the time. Worrying about the future. Fretting about the past. Hang in there. Managing Your Mind can be learned. There are Apps. There are courses. There are coaches. Practice, practice, practice, see what happens, and let me know what you think.
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