Take Time for What You Love

Have you missed out on the opportunity to take time for what you love because you were busy doing things that don't really matter?

I read a Dilbert cartoon the other day from a book called Dilbert Gives You the Business by Scott Adams that was a great lesson on spending your time wisely.

Dilbert's boss tells him he is being sent to Elbonia to teach a class in COBOL computer programming. Dilbert says he doesn't know anything about COBOL.

After several more frames of the boss trying to solve the wrong problem, Dilbert lands in Elbonia. The Elbonians tell him they don't have any computers, to which he replies, "That's ok. I don't know COBOL." He then proceeds to give them a four day class.

"The time which we have at our disposal every day is elastic; the passions we feel expand it, those that we inspire contract it, and habit fills up what remains." - Marcel Proust

In this day and age, where we constantly have more to do than is humanly possible, it pays to stop and look at where you spend your time. There are so many things that demand our attention: our jobs, families, and other responsibilities.

Even though it may not feel like it, there is always some time that you get to make choices about how you'll spend it. You owe it to yourself to spend some time on things that really matter to you. It could be a creative dream such as writing a fictional adventure, learning to play the guitar, or planting a beautiful garden.

Here is the hard part. If you wait until everything is cleaned, cooked, filed, delivered, rotated, or in perfect order, you may not have the energy, desire, or inspiration to do anything.

Even if by a miracle you find yourself with an hour or two of "free" time, you may find yourself starting at the blank page or frustrated that you can't decide what to do.

I have a strong desire to see my in basket empty, my house clean and stack free, and a week's worth of sumptuous meals ready to be whisked to the table set with linens and handmade fused glass dishes that I've made myself. Perhaps I should write fiction with this kind of imagination.

So the answer is you can't wait. When I do, I feel frustrated and grumpy. I feel like there is never enough time. I wonder when it will be legal to clone myself. I mutter that I never get to do what I want to do. Sound familiar?

Setting aside a little time, preferably each day, to do the things that matter to you, will ease the frustration and get you moving in the right direction.

You've been given the gift of time. Are you spending some time doing things that really matter to you? 

Check out Design Your Inspired Life , a program that can help you spend more time doing things you really want to do.