Time Monsters~

What is a time monster you ask? We all have a lot to juggle in our lives, and sometimes the things we know we should do get put on the side burner. We know we should get more exercise. We know we should start acting on the novel we have always dreamed of writing. We know we should face our emotions instead of simply overeating. Time monsters come in handy when they support you in avoiding all the things you deep down wish to pursue. We can make up good excuses. When you volunteer non-stop in your child’s classroom, or feel like it is imperative to clean hours every day or rationalize that you need to prepare gourmet meals every evening for your family-these sometimes become time monsters. These are all meaningful activities, but make sure you are doing them for the right reasons. Make sure you are not keeping excessively busy so that you avoid what you really need to face. I want each of you to take some time this week and really look at how you spend your time. Is what you are doing really what you want to be doing? Is it simply taking up time? Are they activities to keep you from facing the truth? Be honest with yourself if you wish to move forward in your life. I am just as guilty of multi-tasking a million things, when what I should be doing is very basic and simple.

1. What are your time monsters?
Review the activities that take up a majority of your time. How do you keep busy throughout the week? Running unimportant errands? Planning and preparing meals? Excessive cleaning and organizing? Try to decipher the difference between normal activities and activities that simply take up time.

2. What are you avoiding?
What do time monsters help you avoid in your life? Living a healthier lifestyle? Transitioning into a career you have been dreaming of? Facing fears of failing at something? Time monsters are a band-aid remedy that will not help you long term. Try listing everything that you know and wish you were pursuing instead in your life.

3. Face one monster at a time
Instead of trying to get rid of every time monster at once, which will feel overwhelming and daunting, pick one at a time. If you know that you spend way too much time surfing the internet, start there. What other activities could you pursue that would be more enriching and helpful toward achieving long term goals? Exercising more? Taking a class? Calling a friend? Beginning writing? Get to work~