How To Value And Manage Time

Time And Energy Management

This is my Tough Cookie take on how to value and manage time. This is also my annual pep talk to myself. If interested, please also check out my 2023 version of How To Survive With Passion And Purpose.

Since it is a new year, it is also a chance for re-energizing and repair. The biggest lesson I learned from my life experiences is how precious and fleeting time is. If you want to change perpetual procrastination into success, this post is for you.

If you learn to value your time and manage it wisely, this will never happen to you.

Do you have a plan for your life? Do you realize that time is the one thing we all have the same amount of? Do you have a talent nobody else knows about?

Learning to ask yourself the right questions is the key to success and not wasting time.

Questions I Ask Myself

• If I died today, what would be my biggest regret?
• Does my daily routine include sufficient time for work, family, friends, and other responsibilities, plus time for relaxing and fun stuff?
• Does my social life need an audit or expansion? Am I still traveling on The Red Flag Highway with some people or joyfully floating with others on The Lazy River?
• What would my best day ever look like?
• What about my dreams? Am I making progress? If not, what should I do differently?
• I used to golf with a friend who is a NASA engineer. Whenever my golf ball “had a mind of its own” and hooked or sliced without any caution whatsoever, she tried her best to make me feel better and encouraged me to blame it on trajectory. So, I also ask myself what is my future trajectory?

Quote Therapy

I love quotes and often look to other writers when I need inspiration or, at times, cattle prodding when stuck staring at a blank piece of paper or screen. Four of my favorites about time and regret are:

Manage Microdistractions

Sometimes, I feel like I am the Last Human Standing who prefers not to be tethered to my smartphone or big-screen TV.

Are we being robotized by non-stop advertising, digital dinging, push notifications gone wild, online shopping addictions, social media temptation, reels and videos, and trying to figure out if that article or news story we were drawn to is real or fake?

As we all know, social media can be a supportive rekindling of friends and family, which is terrific, but it can also be a lesson in deceit, cruelty, and getting hacked.

Are hours on social media sites the best use of your time to achieve success or keeping you from creating your bigger life?

Whatever you decide, I suggest trust but verify all friend requests for staying cyber-safe out there.

Remember, personal and business relationships and networking will help you accomplish what you are willing to invest your time in along with hard work to make it happen.

If your only friend is Alexa, you might be in trouble.

Enter The Dreams

Success and dreams look different for everyone. Success and dream-seeking people prioritize what they care about with their daily responsibilities and production goals.

In other words, the choice is finding the balance between The I Have To Do This Today list and Wish I Could Be (fill in your desire) instead. You can do both through planning.

Try brainstorming to discover the missing pieces that lead to your passions. Below is what I discovered about myself using this process.

I Am Most Productive When

• I am writing.
• I am learning new skills or spending time improving the ones I have.
• I am outdoors taking pictures, walking, hiking, or camping.
• I am working out or exercising at home.
• I am supporting a worthy cause through donations.

My definition of success is giving back. The worthy causes I am supporting this year include the Alzheimer’s Association, ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Keshet Center for the Arts, National Audubon Society, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for Children, and I sponsor Rocco at the New Mexico Horse Rescue Walkin N Circles Ranch.

I Am Happy When

• My family, extended family, and friends are safe and well.
• I am fortunate to have another day in good health, food in the fridge, a roof over my head, and others who care about me.
• I am with people or my adopted rescue dog, Miley, who make me laugh and treat me as an equal.
• A website visitor takes their time to leave a comment on any of my blog stories and lets me know what I wrote helped them
• I have the courage to ditch my comfort zone and face the fear that keeps me from trying something I want to do.

Mindset Your Daily Plan For Success

It takes more than wishing, hoping, thinking, and the someday excuse. Change of any kind requires courage and for you to be all in.

The way to value and manage time is to prioritize and calendar daily time for work, family, household responsibilities, fun times, and a yearly plan for your dreams.

Make a written plan that includes the steps required for the projects and timelines to complete them. Make sure to calendar those dates and post them in a highly visible place.

I use an old-school 6″ x 8″ planner for my weekly commitments and the monthly section calendar for my writing. In addition, I have a yearly online content creation calendar.

Celebrate and feel proud and successful every time you check a completed step.

Your Turn

Now, it is your turn to answer the questions above and figure out when you are most productive and when you are happy. If you do, I trust you will find, as I did, that daily life becomes more satisfying and less stressful. Bring on the happy.

Tough Cookie Tip: Whatever your definition of success is, remember fear is temporary, but regret is forever. Only believing and challenging yourself can move you out of your comfort zone to make your dreams a reality. You will see a positive change if you value time and manage it wisely. Be patient and persistent, and avoid all energy vampires. Choose a successful life and year!

Copyright © 2022-2025 Marilyn K Fuller. All Rights Reserved.

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