The Gift Of Time

  Earlier this week I was advised that an appointment needed to be rescheduled. The appointment wasn’t for another week, so it was lots of notice.  And instead of being a problem, it actually made things easier.  It meant that things that I needed to do this week could be done next week.  It was a sharp contrast to the week before when things suddenly went sideways and the whole week became rather chaotic.

So, what did I do with this newfound time? I was able to get some things done that had been bothering me.  It was such a relief. Isn’t it nice when that happens?  I know we all have those things.  Maybe they are things around the house, projects at work… Sometimes they are small things.  I find that sometimes those are the hardest to get done.  There is no perfect time.  There are so many big things that need to be done that the small things get pushed to the side and suddenly there are many more small things than we started with, or the small things have now grown into big things.  It’s a vicious cycle.

You may remember that a few months ago – how is it already April?? – I said that this year I am organizing and purging our house.  Recently I discovered something online that is making it a little easier.  I signed up for something where they send you a list each week for six weeks of seven 10-minute decluttering tasks.  You edit the list if needed to make it into tasks that will work for you.

I have been really surprised at what I have been able to get done 10 minutes at a time.  It is a short enough time that I can usually fit it in, but long enough that I can actually accomplish something.  If it’s not finished, I can continue with it the next day for 10 minutes.  I set my timer for 10 minutes, and sometimes I add another five, but for the most part I stick with the allotted 10 minutes.  It keeps me from getting overwhelmed, I can see that I am making progress, which helps me keep my momentum, and then I can carry on with whatever else needs to get done that day.

Let’s face it.  There is never enough time in the day.  When my mother-in-law retired, she was suddenly busier than she had been when she was working, but the difference was that she was doing the things she wanted to do instead of the things she had to do.  There were weeks when she would tell us that she was just too busy.  And we would look at her, jealous of the fact that she was retired and had time to do the things she wanted to, and tell her that she actually had the power to change that.

So regardless of your work or family situation, there is never enough time.  So, what do we do with our time?  Do we do only the things we have to do?  Do we also find time to do the things that we want to do?  I am a strong believer in doing the things you want to while you still can because you just don’t know what’s going to happen.  You don’t know if an accident will change your life in an instant, if the doctor is going to tell you that you have an illness that will change your life, that your work or family situation will change…. We just don’t know what is going to happen.  Is it easy to find the time to do the things we want to do?  No.  It’s not.  Because there is never enough time.  But because there is never enough time, we need to try to find a way to make the time to do things that will make us happy.  The things we want to do.

I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying: Life is short.  Eat dessert first.  It’s a cliche, but it’s also true.  Life is short.  Maybe we can’t eat dessert first every day, but once in a while is okay.  And because it’s once in a while, it’s a real treat.  While the big projects make the smaller ones hard to fit in, I think the smaller things that we want to do are more attainable than the big ones.  And that’s great.  We are probably more able to find time to go for a walk or have our favourite meal than we are to go on the trip that has been on our bucket list for years.

I hope that you are able to find time this week to do some of the things you want to do while you can.  Personally, I’m excited about Easter and am going to try to make the time to make some chocolate cookies that I have been wanting to try since Christmas.  There has never been a right time.  So, I’m going to do my best to make that time now so we can enjoy them at Easter.

What fun thing are you going to try to do this week?