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Time is Short…How Are You Spending Yours?

In the blink of an eye, something happens that changes everything:

You lose someone important in your life…
The baby you held in your arms heads off to college…
Your marriage dissolves…
The 5 pound gain turns to 40…
A parent’s health begins to decline…
20 years has passed by and you’ve yet to…

Time is short…it either passes us by, with what seems like warp speed, or creeps up on us and catches us by surprise.

Today, I’d like you to spend the next few minutes–or if you have it, the next hour or two–answering the six questions below.  You may want to work through all in one sitting or spread them out over the next week.  I have included exercises with each area, so feel free to use those as a guide through this process.

The point is for us to take inventory of our lives and see how we can make the most out of our precious time.

Here we go…

MAKING AN IMPACT:  How do you want to be remembered?  What will your legacy be?  How will your obituary read?

Exercise:  Write your own obituary.  You could take it from two approaches:  Write it as it would truthfully read today and see where you see “impact holes.”  Secondly, you could write out the obituary that you’d love to see.  Either way, find the impact areas you haven’t accomplished yet, and begin to work toward implementing those in your life.

CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS:  Are you taking steps to nurture and grow your most important relationships?

Exercise:  Write a list of names of your most important relationships.  Now think about how those relationships could be enriched.  Some relationships will be fine as is, others may need a little TLC.  Try not to overcomplicate things either.  Nurturing a relationship can be as simple as texting one of the people on your list every couple of weeks, another may be to make a walking date every month, another to get together every three months for a fun weekend.  The point of this exercise is not to overwhelm your schedule, it is to bless you and those you are in relationship with.

LIVING OUT YOUR DREAMS:  Have you pushed your dreams to the back burner?  Are you stuck trying to figure out how to make your dream a reality?

Exercise: Write out your big dream and then write out the first 10 steps that could begin to make your dream a reality.  Oftentimes the biggest stumbling block to not living out a dream is not starting because the process seems overwhelming or unrealistic.  When you write out these 10 steps you’ve now got a “to-do” list broken out into digestible steps that you can begin working on.  Maybe you have a dream to travel to Europe.  Step 1 might be to research areas you’d like to see.  Step 2 to look into cost of flights and accommodations. Step 3 to set a budget.  Step 4 to set your dates.  Etc. etc.

LOSING CONTROL:  Are you trying to control things that are not within your control?  You’re fighting a losing battle, my friend.

Exercise:  Write out the things you struggle to control most.  Look at your list and see which of these you have the ability and power to control…circle those.  Now draw a line or a big X through the others.  Work on the ones you have circled and let go of those you have crossed out.

NOT WORRYING AROUT TOMORROW:  “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow has its own worries.”  This quote is so true.  Worrying about anticipated threats is a complete waste of your time and energy.

Exercise:  Write a list of the things you worry about most.  With each item, write out possible solutions.  If there are no solutions, then work on staying in the present moment.  Worrying ties in with letting go of the things you cannot control: both these areas are some of the hardest to overcome, but very critical to living a fulfilled life.

PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR HEALTH:  How’s your physical health?  How about your emotional health?  Are you eating right, exercising, and sleeping well?  Are you filling your mind with positive thoughts?

Exercise:  Include non-negotiables in your schedule to keep yourself healthy.  Schedule exercise, time to prepare healthy meals, and proper sleep.  If you struggle with emotional issues, schedule non-negotiable time for counsel, for exercise, and the other things to work on getting healthy.  Put these things in your calendar today.

A lot to think about, but remember time is short, so don’t delay in making your time on this earth the best it can be.

As always, I appreciate you spending time with me here today.

If you found this post helpful, please share with your friends and co-workers.

Have a great day!

Jill xx

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When Quitting is a Decision That Will Enrich Your Life

I used to think that quitting was for losers—unless you were quitting heroin, of course!

The inspirational quotes that populate Pinterest and our Facebook pages urge us to “Never Give Up!”  I’m all for these types of mottos, but not when you find yourself staying in the game for the wrong reasons.  In some situations, “never giving up” can be an absolute exercise in futility.

I know several people, and I’m sure you do too, that are experiencing some pretty serious levels of unhappiness in their life.

Maybe it’s a job with a horrendous boss, a project that’s sucking the life and creativity out of them, or a relationship that’s draining or abusive.

In these situations, quitting—or withdrawing one’s self from a situation—can be one of the wisest, most freeing, and empowering decisions of your life.

The bad news is that oftentimes the choice to quit can be harder and scarier than the alternative.

The good news is that, in most situations, we hold the key to the prison we find ourselves in, and our sentences are determined by our action or inaction.

If you’re in a situation where you’re trying to gain clarity on whether to withdraw from a situation or a relationship, consider the following sections below:
1. Common obstacles to quitting
2. Reasons why it may be time to quit
3. Help in the decision making process

Common Obstacles to Quitting:

  • Fear. This emotion can paralyze you, but there are ways to overcome fear.
  • Because you’ve been told you can’t do it. Don’t listen to the haters—they don’t have your best interest at heart.
  • Just because it’s hard. Hard does not equal impossible.  Keep your head up and use your resources.
  • Because progress is slow. A lot of good things take time.  Patience is a virtue.
  • Laziness. Being a couch potato is a poor excuse to quit!  If this is you, it’s time to turn up the Rocky music and get going—You Can Do It!

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a look at some reasons where you can benefit from quitting or removing yourself from a situation.

It May Be Quittin’ Time When:

  • You’ve given it a fair shot and it’s not what you expected or what you want in your life.
  • You’d like to venture into other opportunities and need to let something go in order to make room for something new.
  • You’re stressing more about the work, projects, or relationships in your life than you are loving your life.
  • You are in physical or emotional danger.

Help in Making a Decision:

  • Talk to friends, mentors, and counselors.
  • Write a pros and cons list.
  • Work through your scenario in mind mapping style! I’ll show you how here.
  • Pray for wisdom and direction.

Once you’ve thought it all through, and you decide it’s in your best interest to quit or remove yourself from a situation, try your best to exit with grace and fairness.

Blessings to you!

Jill xx

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