Too Many Things to do

I “retired” in 2022, one year ago.  We sold the real estate business 2 years ago, and my husband “retired” so he could spend full-time with his cattle.  I was excited to have more time to officially coach individuals and groups on how to live a healthier and more vibrant life.

Well, here we are, one year later.  I’ve coached individuals, and I’ve coached some small group programs.  The people I’ve coached have told me I have helped them improve their health and their lives.

It seemed easy to adjust from going to the real estate office every day, to coming to my health coach office most days.  And this new way of life has been an encouragement to me because I feel I get to help people improve their lives.

But as I work on 4-week programs, one-day workshops, individual coaching, and take a course to teach me to do online group coaching, I stay a little bit busier than I had planned.

Do you ever feel like you just have too many things to do??

What can we do to remedy that?

Would you like to live your life by design, instead of by chance?

Do you want to be a person who is known for a Life of Hurry?

Or  known for a person whose heart and life is at Peace?

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I’ve found that the first thing I needed to do was to write things down…

Make a list of everything you can possibly think of, that you choose to do.

I’d suggest making a Master List, just to see what all areas you’d like to work on, like:

1.     Things you’d like to do, such as:

a.      Make a puzzle

b.     Hike a trail

c.      Camp

d.     Get a massage

e.      Take a day-trip, or 2-day trip

f.       Get a manicure

g.     Read

h.     Paint a room

i.       Spend time with a friend

j.       Fix a special dinner

2.     Then Things you MUST do:    

a.      Appointments

b.     Paperwork and documentation on your work

c.      Miscellaneous jobs in connection with work

d.     Education (or taking time to “sharpen the saw”)

3.     Things you’d like to buy, such as:

a.      A new pair of jeans

b.     A new kitchen gadget

c.      Full-house generator

d.     Upgraded kitchen cabinets

e.      Someone’s dinner

4.     Things you NEED to spend money on, such as:

a.      Taxes

b.     Insurance

c.      New Washer

d.     Repair work

e.      A New Mattress

NOW, JUST FOR THE HECK OF IT, WRITE THESE THINGS DOWN:

5.     Your Dreams, so you can acknowledge them.

6.     Things you’re passionate about, that you would just love to do.

7.     Things that challenge you, that you’d like to try.  And Lastly…

8.     What is your Actual Vision for your Life? (This is your key!)

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The things that you must do, write time on your calendar when you plan to do them.  This is an Absolute Must if you want to be organized and Actually Get Things Done.

Do you use a calendar to help you get things done, and keep you on track?  If not, that’s probably the best first thing you can do.  If you really don’t want to use a calendar, at least keep a paper tablet with separate lists of things to remind you of important tasks, deadlines, appointments, etc.

If you want to go a little deeper into the calendar issue, there are a couple of apps that you can use—both of them have a free version: Asana.com, and Trello.com. I like Asana, but my class I’m taking for on line group coaching uses and recommends Trello, and I’m going to look into that one. 

Right now I use my google calendar on my phone, and a paper book planner.  The phone I use for reminders, and the paper one I use for day-to-day tasks I need to do. 

Yes, it’s a little bit of duplication, but it works for me.

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On your calendar, for timing purposes, add the items from your NEED-TO-DO list.  Give each item a time, on a certain day.  Figure how long it will take, and mark that time off.

Mark in time, also, to fix meals, etc., and do personal things that are necessary. 

ALWAYS mark yourself in a 15-minute, more or less, buffer in between appointments or times for tasks.  This is a key to your not getting discouraged if you go past your time a few minutes.  And if you stay on time, you’ll have a few minutes to just take a breath!

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Do you have any time left on your calendar?  I sure hope so.  If not, you should re-group and see how much of what you “have to do”  is absolutely necessary.  And if everything is, then it looks like you’ll have to change up some things about the way you live. 

If you can’t fit your HAVE-TO-DO’s on paper, you sure won’t be able to fit them into your busy real life.  If this is you, you are in a prison that you must find a way out of.  Your body and mind won’t be able to sustain this pace.

If you need help with this, please let me know.

Sharon@WhereIsYourCalm.com

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There are things that will help you have more energy to get more done.  If you can think toward some of these things, and make them a part of your daily routine, it will help your life, and it will help your calendar. 

How?  Just take my word for it, and try it.  I don’t really understand it, but it makes a definite difference.

Meditation: 10-15 minutes twice a day adds energy and brain power both.  You will begin thinking more clearly, with less brain fog, and you will have more energy.

Take a Walk: It doesn’t matter how long you walk—a short walk will help.  Enjoy it.  It helps.  If you walk outside in the morning it will help you be more apt to sleep better at night.  If you walk in a peaceful place or see beauty and nature along the way, it boosts that even more.

Electronics off:  An hour or two before bed, helps you sleep better, helps your brain shut down and relax.  You’ll feel better in the morning.

Have a “morning routine” and an “evening routine”.  When you follow your routines, your body and mind get trained to it, and are more in-tune to prepare for either “starting the faster pace into your busy day” in the morning, or “sleeping peacefully” at night.

Don’t get sucked into the coffee break chatter if it’s negative, or gossip.  You’ll feel better just being by yourself and going further down your “list”.

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Take your list of things you’d LIKE TO DO, and pick the thing that would make you the happiest to do, or the thing that would make you feel light, more than the rest.  The one thing you’d REALLY like to do. 

Find a place for it in your calendar.  Even if it’s a month away.  Find a place for it in your calendar.

Now choose another thing, and do the same.  If you feel comfortable with it, add another thing.

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Go ahead and write down the things you need to buy, in a list.  This is so you can acknowledge these things.

Then Write the things you WANT to buy.  Keep this list in your heart, too, as well as written down.

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Now, find a nice, special piece of paper.

Write down that thing (or things) you’re passionate about, first.  This step is something that truly is valuable to your life.  Keep this in mind, and keep this thought close to your heart.

Now, what challenges you, that you’d like to try?

If you can’t think of anything, no worries; just go on to the next step.

Now, finally, Your Dreams.  These things need to be acknowledged by you.  They need to be on this Paper, and they need to be held in your heart.

Do you believe Dreams can happen in real life?

Do you believe what you’re passionate about can come to life?

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You have one more thing…YOUR VISION FOR YOUR FUTURE. 

IT’S TIME NOW TO REALLY THINK.

Think of a Really Clear Picture of your future.  With your business and personal thoughts being able to work together.

How would you like to live in your future?

Decide your Vision.

Where do you want your life to lead?

How far do you want it to go?

If you think these questions, and your thoughts to this are unimportant, you’re very wrong.  Be wise, and consider that these questions, and their answers, are very important.

Look back over your “Things you MUST do” and things you want to do, and see if they align with your Vision for your future.

If they don’t align, you must consider how you can adjust your life.

If you truly want to be successful in what you truly want for your life, these things must align.

If you need help with this, please message me and I will help you.

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ARE YOU READY TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH YOUR TIME…SO YOU DON’T FEEL OVERWHELMED?

TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH YOUR TIME,

ARE YOU WILLING TO CHANGE?

TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH YOUR TIME,

YOU MUST CHANGE A COUPLE OF THINGS:

1.     THE THINGS YOU THINK;

2.     THE ACTIONS YOU TAKE.

We all know…Change is Uncomfortable.

At first, it’s easy to see the benefits of the changes, and it feels really good.

But then…you see real life happening…

The sight of the benefits of the change you want, begin to fade…they don’t feel as real as they did at first…

It’s easy to see that “going back” might be the best thing…back to where life is familiar…it’s easy to look for reasons to “go back to normal”.

At this point, your Vision is what carries you forward.  That’s why you need your Vision.  It can carry you through this valley.  And then you can look around…and maybe see one little change that has actually happened.

Then you begin to see changes. 

Keep looking for them.  Watch for them.

That’s how your “change” in your Thinking, and your Actions, form.

Now you see the changes, and they become routine.

You’re successful in making your life change.

Now you can go on to a new change.

The key here, is “your vision”.  If you don’t have a Vision, there is nothing for your PLAN to work toward.

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Yet if you have a Vision, but NO PLAN, you have no way to get to your Vision.  It’s like a pipe dream.

So, YOUR PLAN is your life solidly (in your calendar) focusing on the TOP PRIORITIES that you need to reach your Vision.

And you must pay attention to your calendar, and your dreams and “want-to’s” in addition to your “have-to’s”, so you can know how to measure where you are, like—keeping score; and being able to see how far you’re moving toward what you want.  You can’t measure if you don’t pay attention to how your calendar is working for you.  Measuring keeps us “real”.

Be Accountable to Yourself—be willing to own your results.  We have the freedom to CHOOSE our future, and to think, “What more can I do to get the result?”  What a great freedom we have!

And of course, we have to be committed.  Sticking to our commitments builds our character.  It also builds our success.

One more thing…Do you Believe you can be Great?  Believe it.  Because once you make your decision to change, and commit to work toward your vision, keeping an eye toward your future, You already ARE Great, and when the changes actually happen, you will see the proof!

If your Vision is in your Heart, and if you’re clear on your Plan, you can actually glide through this process, overcoming hurdles along the way.

If you live your days just doing things as they come up, you do not have control of your day, nor your time.  You will always be “behind” because you have not set a Guide to show you the way to what you want.

Your Plan will help you feel an urgency to get those things done, and you will get more done. 

Day after day, after day, and Week after week, after week…will make a BIG DIFFERENCE in your life—before you know it!

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So.  Form the Habit of Living by your Calendar (so you can have time when you can live “off the calendar”!)

Work on What you Want for your Life.  (Not on your To-Do List)

Work on What you need to do to Get There.  Work on Fitting your Life into your Calendar. 

Pare down that calendar, give yourself some space, and as you plan your days, each day, and each week, be very intentional about your plan.

Then, be very intentional about following your PLAN.

If you are not in control of your TIME, you are not in control of your results, nor your life.

Use your time with clear intention.

You Absolutely CAN do this!!

Thank you for reading… and

Let’s Intentionally Pare Down our List of “To-Do’s” and Get on with our Lives…And Enjoy!! (With some “down time”)

If you have trouble with any of this, I can help you in deeper detail; just message me or email me.  I will be glad to help you with it.

Sharon@WhereIsYourCalm.com

Sharon