Do you really make the most of each day?
Do you really make each day count?
You may have noticed that I’ve been taking part in a weekly blog prompt through Denyse Whelan Blogs. This week the topic was ‘Daylight Saving is Over’. Now we don’t have daylight saving where I live but the prompt made me think about how we use our time.
Daylight saving means changing our clocks to provide an extra hour of daylight. Psychologically this gives us the feeling that we have more time in our day – especially to enjoy the outdoors.
Now I love extending daylight hours but is it really essential to the productivity of our day?
We all have the same number of hours in each day and yet some complain there are not enough hours to do all they need to do. Why is that?
Sometimes we make life too complicated. This year, my word is ‘Simplify’ and by simplifying our lives we can have more time to enjoy each day.
I recently read an article ‘The Antidote to Busyness: Protect What Matters’ by Michele at Life Redesign 101. It was about how much easier it is to prioritize when you look at it from the point of view of ‘protecting what matters’. Finding ways in your day to protect what matters by
Doubling the time you spend on things that matter most, even at the expense of something else.
3 easy ways to get more out of each day
Prioritize
Think about what is most important to you and your family and work back from there. Saying ‘I’m too busy’ just doesn’t cut it really.
Do something you love each day
Make time for fun and enjoyment in each day. Some people say they are ‘so busy’ they have no time to enjoy life. Your life isn’t just about work but should be balanced with enjoying and enriching your life.
Plan
If you work or have a family, take time to plan your week. Make one day per week to prep your meals to save time during the week.
Schedule in exercise, date nights, family outings. Give them the same priority as you would a business meeting.
What can you change to make your day more productive and fulfilling?
Let’s Keep Sizzling!
35 Comments
If I make lunches on the weekend and freeze it, it makes my working week SO much smoother. And cheaper!
I’ve forgotten what hobbies are, but I’m hoping to learn again soon…
Great idea Vanessa! I hope you can find some ‘me time’ in there for you – that is important. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Huge fan of this! I never buy lunch at work. Love that what I bring from home is often more filling, healthier, tastier and better for my budget.
SSG xxx
Yes buying lunches can be so expensive and we don’t always tend to make healthier options. It is a good feeling to be organised and bring lunch from home isn’t it? Have a great day!
Sane and simple suggestions there. Meal planing takes up so much time and energy that we wrote out a time table for a fortnight. That helps immensely. #mg
Oh that is a great idea. When I was a young mum I used to do that too so I could plan what meals to make and make sure I had the ingredients! It made such a difference. Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day. xx
I know how much my life has changed in the past two years when I read this post. I have a a huge amount of time and can spend it how I wish. I actually find that hard! The trouble is, that physical ageing issues and IBS are putting paid to what I might have thought I would do in this full-time retirement scenario. I have come from a BUSY life of working, family rearing,studying and grand parenting. So, what I am learning via my spiritual reading and listening, along with my creative pursuits and chatting with my husband is that I am in a transition of leaving what WAS my life to learning to be part of THIS life. It’s the restrictions that I continue to challenge but can do nothing about other than eventually accept them. I have had a moment today when I realised I am still thinking of myself as being in my early mid 50s and in actual fact I am but 2 and 3/4 years from 70. A LOT more changes in this decade than I was prepared for…or didn’t want to see!! Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek 14/52. Next week: Easter
It is so hard to change isn’t it Denyse. I found retiring a huge shock to my system and it has taken 5 years for me to find any feeling of being settled. You are listening to yourself and making good decisions for you to enjoy the rest of your life. Keep going with the meditation and creative pursuits I love your work. x
Lots of great suggestions here – thank you. One of the biggest challenges is fitting it all in – or deciding what needs to be left behind
Yes it is all about prioritizing isn’t it! We can only but try. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.
I love this post, and not just because you featured my article! I am always interested in making my days count and in aligning them with my values and purpose. Thanks for the shout out!
I loved your post Michele that is what gave me the idea to use it for the Daylight Saving prompt. Have a great week my friend!
I’ve learnt to have a lose plan for what I’m doing for the week, which includes scheduling in exercise and veg out time. It definitely helps me to organise my time better and get things done.
I need some kind of plan Kat but I know that sometimes life can get in the way and we need to be flexible. Have a great week!
I’m happiest and most productive if I give myself 20 minutes on Sunday night to prepare for the coming week. And love the idea of protecting your priorities. Great tips!
That would really set you up for the week Rosemond. You can feel more prepared and if you can do it in 20 minutes that is nothing is it? Have a great week!
I’m limiting my social media time each day and focusing on being more present and hence more efficient. Work is crazy at the moment and I don’t have as much time to devote to writing as I’ve been used to previously. I now schedule two time slots a week to write.
SSG xxx
Sounds like you are still busy SSG. At least you are trying to limit areas of your life so you don’t burn out. I hope you have some time for YOU this week. Take care and thanks for stopping by xx
I love to have a plan but I also like to leave some flexibility in it because who knows what might come out of left field. I easily get knocked off my perch if I have to totally abandon my plans. Oh and yes knowing your priorities and making time for them is so much the source of satisfaction. Great post Sue x
Hi Jan! Life can get in the way of our plans so I agree we need to be flexible. Deciding on what is a priority can sometimes be difficult but I find it makes me a little more organised and also appreciative of what is really important to me. Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day xx
Great advice. I alwYs get up before everyone else to enjoy some quiet time to myself. It helps me start the day from a place of calm (even if it’s short lived!) x
#Mg
I love the early mornings too Alana although I don’t have a family now. My husband sleeps in so I get up early, have my coffee and do some yoga. It is a lovely way to start my day. Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day. xx
It is an important subject to remind us to think about our time. I need to take stock of how I spend my time or more correctly what I spend it on, making it count.
It is easy to side tracked isn’t it Kathleen. I realise that we need to be flexible and life can get in the way sometimes but I also believe if we have a plan it does work – most of the time. Have a great week and always appreciate you stopping by xx
This is so true, I like to set aside my most important thing each day that I HAVE to get done, then I have 3 things I would like and 3 things that I can take or leave and it really helps to put things into perspective and I always feel like I have achieved something!
That sounds like a plan Charlotte! Compartmentalising what is a MUST DO, WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE AND WHAT CAN BE LEFT. A really good way to achieve something each day. Hope you are keeping well. x
What a thought provoking post this is. Thank you for the tips.#mg
thanks Helena! Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by xx
Thanks from Grammy Dee, #WednesdayAIMLinkParty, social media shared.
Wonderful advice, I am trying so hard to find balance, for a while I felt I had it going well, but then things change and I start to feel pressure again to do too much! I need to pull back from some of the things that are not making me happy. Thanks for doing me at #mg Sue, have a lovely weekend xx
We put too much pressure on ourselves don’t we Mackenzie. I’m the same. Life seems to be going well and then I feel the pressure – and I’m retired! Please take care of yourself and I think we both need to take our own advice and read our blogs!! Enjoy your weekend Mackenzie and see you at the link up. xx
Such great advice and I totally agree that you Should do at least one thing you live each day! Great post! ? #MG
It certainly makes life so much better for everyone if we look after ourselves and remember to include some time just for ‘us’. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!
I really need to put some of these suggestions to work – especially the one about doing something I love each day. Granted, I enjoy what I’m doing now, but some days it does feel like a never-ending hamster wheel of busyness. My word for this year is determination but I probably ought to also add balance to that as well.
I know it isn’t easy to do something every day but even little things make such a difference. Determination is a great word! Have a fabulous week Shelley. xx