The clock rules our lives. Time is the one thing we never have enough of. It speeds up and slows down. It is our greatest excuse. We say we wish we had more of it. We have things everywhere to remind us of what time it is. The clock moves and our lives with it. Time is a constant and it reminds us that there is an end to things. It is a sobering fact that everything has an expiration date on it. So, we watch it tick away as we watch our lives do the same. It seems like we have no control. It is true, time moves forward, and we have no control over the movement toward our end but, how do you use it. Do we live each moment with intention or waste each moment with a million excuses? I am too busy, I do not have any extra time, I need more time to be able or I have to do this instead, these become the mantra for our wasted time. The reality is you have time and that those are just ways to keep you marching to the clock metronome. Keeping you from the intentions of a better life. It is the perfect excuse because no one questions you do not have enough time. We all fight the clock to get things done and to have spare time for ourselves. We hear the excuses all the time and when we get to the end of our lives, we say we wish we had more. But we have time, and it is here and now. A big gap in time does not live in the future. Time is happening now, and you can make anything happen in this moment. We sometimes say, “I don’t have to do that now” when in actuality it is the best time to do that. We feel the temptations of the time stealers and they become the driving force, instead of productive energy to your abundant life. If you were to hover over, your life you would see that lots of your time is bogged down with unnecessary gaps of useless space filled with things to occupy it. Don’t get me wrong you do need time for recovery and mindless things are very helpful to do that but, it can waste effort toward your abundant life as well. How do we control the clock and start moving toward an abundant life filled with purposeful intent? It takes looking at how we live our lives with open eyes, it takes a behavior shift toward your intention, it takes planning with honesty and understanding. With these tools you can start to use the clock as an ally instead of as an enemy. We are given the exact time we need to have an abundant life. We need to fulfill it without excuses and wasted intentions. Your abundant life is in the time we have so, live it. It starts today in this moment. You have the power to be the timekeeper and determine your purposeful life.
Take the rose-colored glasses off and bring out the microscope. It is time to look at your life in detail. Leave all the excuses in a box and bring reality to the fore front. Where are you, what does your life look like and how is your day structured. Give this great thought with detail and above all be honest. It is so easy for us to start using excuses of why we do things. STOP! Excuses are our egos protecting themselves. They are not needed when you are talking to yourself. You are the only one who knows you best. Listen without the ego’s distraction. Where in your life are the gaps or wasted time? Are these areas truly needed to help you move forward? I understand you need downtime but, how much do you truly need and is there a better way to utilize the downtime. I am not going to get on a soapbox about technology or social platforms, I however will ask you to challenge the use. Does the use out way the need? It takes hard conversations, without guilt or excuses, with ourselves to really point a spotlight on our lives. Come with no judgements and predetermined outcomes and you will start to see the mindless usage of your time. It is ok to take a look to see how you can make a difference now. Using the moment toward an intention of your future self. It just takes us being honest with ourselves and shifting the moment of one of waste to one of purpose.
Now that you have taken an honest look free of judgement, it is time to shift the behavior to purposeful intent. This is a hard one. Our behavior is paved from everything in our paths to this date. It might have been our parents, our friends, or ourselves seeking escape from reality. Either way it is entrenched in us. The habits we have taken on for no matter what the reason. The shift in behavior takes place when we can challenge the behavior itself. Why do I do this and answering with honesty. When you can see it is not needed you can move to change it. Behavior shift takes repeated action in the new way and reward. Owning this new way of life. You may have been a gamer and now you are an athlete. Moving from sitting in a chair to running a race. It is becoming a new person. A new persona of the person you want to become. A behavior change can change the persona. It takes seeing it, challenging it, changing it, repeating the change, rewarding it and then becoming it. Then you become that new person. You might have outside forces challenging you as well, after all they only know is the old persona. But being in your purposeful intent will drive you forward and they will begin to embrace the new you. You have shifted your time from one of sedimentary to active or wasted too purposeful. Time is your ally when you can make this shift.
It is time for structure in your life. Structure of a purposeful life takes lucid flowing planning of your life. I am not saying a ridged organized life because that is not reality. Events happen and time gets shifted to priorities and that is ok. But you have a predetermined schedule in your mind of your daily routine that controls your time. You have determined the gaps and now you need to use the gaps, with planning, to things with intent to your abundant life. Instead of sitting on the couch watching TV, journal of the day’s events. It is these small shifts that will change your life. Have a plan for when the old behaviors come into play. Do something else to fill your soul other than what you would normally do. Forgive yourself if you stray from the plan but, also be diligent about the plan itself, after all it is for your abundant life and why you are doing the shift. If you can write it out and put it somewhere you see daily, it would help reinforce your intentions. Repeat, rinse and repeat giving yourself positive reinforcement when you do, will head you in the right direction of a more abundant life where time is on your side.
Time is our keeper. Its forward movement is a constant so, why do we waste the time we are given. It is our escape for the realities of our world. We hide behind our mindless events to help ease the pressure of our lives. When we get to the end, we say we wish we had more time. But if you could use the time in the present undistracted by the mindless activities, we can shift the trajectory to, I lived my life and used all my time with purpose. There would be no regret or wishes in the end. Getting deep and examining our use of our time and being honest with ourselves can help you see where it can be spent more purposeful. Changing the patterns that you have made by changing the behavior can move you to living a better life. Building a structure of your new behavior can lead to a lifestyle change that will lead you to your abundant life. It is an awesome power you have to change the use of your time. Things do not have to be the same as it as always been. If you want a better life you can change, it just takes you making it. It is really that simple but, so challenging because the routine is our ruler. The routine makes our clocks speed up with mindless events. For your sake change the routine. You can do it. Your abundant life with no regretful end is there, it just takes changing the patterns. Grab your clock and make time work for your abundant life and not let it work for your regret of lost time.