I have a confession to make. I think time will wait for me. Yes, completely irrational. I look at the clock, and see that I have 10 minutes left to get ready to head out to make my appointment on time. As I complete preparations somehow I think the clock is still at 10 minutes ‘til. Absurd. Time is waiting for me, right? When I am ready then it will be time to go. And the clock and all of life will fall into line for me.
Never happens to you? Hmmm How often are you late? How often do you take on more than you can possibly do in the allotted time? Maybe you procrastinate and put things off until “someday”, fooling yourself into actually thinking you will get to it.
And so life seems to happen To us and we are along for the ride. To live intentionally we need planning, a structure, commitment and a big dose of grace.
When my children were young we had a dog, Wesley. He was a mutt with some setter and dalmation and a sweet disposition who wanted to please. Wesley had been abandoned and rescued by PAWS, where we adopted him. He had separation anxiety as a result and would get very nervous if he was left alone. He would run around the house, getting into everything he could just to use up his nervous energy. We had a scare when he got into the chocolate brownies on the kitchen counter and ate them all.
We learned that keeping him contained helped. We would attach the end of his leash to the inside of the closet door handle and close the door, and attach him to the other end. This kept him with a short distance to move around. His bed was beside the door along with his favorite chew toy.
Being kept within the confines of boundaries gave Wesley a sense of security. He was much calmer. What he at first resisted was actually what he needed.
Like Wesley I find that I need a “short leash” of structure to be most productive. Without a plan I can get very busy while getting nothing done. As much as I can resist it, it is what I need.
Children who grow up with permissive parenting and are not taught clear boundaries are often prone to acting out. They are more likely to have poor time-management skills, depression, anxiety disorders, and other challenges. There is security in knowing their boundaries and having parents who consistently enforce the boundaries.
Boundaries come in different ways. Some are imposed on us and others we create.
I find that time is a reliable boundary. We can’t manufacture more of it. We can’t wish it or think it into being. We can’t deny the passing of it into reality.
So we are left with the task of managing ourselves within the confines of it. The clock is not standing still, time and life will not wait for you or for me.
We are entering the 3rd quarter of the year. We have 3 months left. What would you like to accomplish between now and 2025?
Maybe you’d like to:
- Read a certain amount of books
- Clean out and organize the garage, a closet, your filing system
- Start and stick with a plan to get in better health
- Finish that house project
- Embark on a new career
- Develop a productive habit to replace an unproductive one
- Or…?
Imagine how you would feel if you actually did it. Imagine the impact it could have in your life. It could be the start of a more intentional life that you create.
Ready, Set, Go!
Plan out the big picture. How long do you expect it will take you to complete it?
- Divide it into bite-size pieces.
- Design structure by assigning a day and time for each piece
- Create time boundaries to keep you accountable .
- Build in some cushion for unexpected events and time constraints.
- Check in, measure your progress & how much time you have left to complete it.
- Adjust the size of your bite-sized pieces as needed.
- Stay with it. If you get off track, allow yourself some grace and get back on.
- Stay committed!
Starting “someday” doesn’t work. Someday is now.
Beyond 2024, what would you like to accomplish in the next year, the next 5 or 10 years? With the rest of your life? It is passing. It’s not waiting for you to make up your mind and create a plan.
I would love to know what you are working to accomplish and how you are doing. Leave me comments. Let’s celebrate together!
Time doesn’t care if you keep your promises to yourself. But you will.
