I Have A Dream… but no time!
Find one thing you could dedicate yourself to. Then, pursue that goal every day. Develop good daily habits: nutrition, exercise, meditation. Make time to spend with your family and friends. Don't give up!
My New Year's resolution is immense: to turn my life around completely. I woke this morning and realized I had to pursue my desired job.
I am 45 years old and have not found my nitch in life. I am unhappy with my line of work. I do not make a steady wage or have the so-called job security. I have no plan for retirement, and I am wading in a significant amount of debt.
The flip side.
I am blessed with fantastic family and friends. I know that between work and family, family is the most valuable. I am rich beyond measure to share my days with my best friend and wife, Andrea. To be beaten at almost every board game I teach my daughter, Cailynn. Sharing dinner and board games with our best friends Dustin and Sandy.
Still, I need the chance to complete something of my own within my lifetime. I want a job that would give me purpose during the work hours of my day, allow my creativity to flow, and provide my family with monetary security.
I intend to set my fear aside and throw myself into something I enjoy. No, I am not quitting my day job, nor will I sacrifice my time with family and friends. I know it will not be easy or quick and that success is not guaranteed. Yet here I go!
I have found wasted time during my day to be used to complete my goals. Here is a list of things I can give up to make time for my dreams.
Too much TV. I love TV shows. Fargo, Stranger Things, or A Series of Unfortunate Events can take up 40 - 60 minutes of my day, and if I watch two, 80 -120 minutes are gone. What if I limit it to one show a day? Time I have saved 60 minutes.
Excessive potty time. I like to scroll through my news feed while I take a poo. Taking 10 - 15 minutes to look at things designed to entrap you is expendable. I could still peruse an article of importance to gaming and be done in five minutes. Time I have saved 10 minutes.
Make a schedule and set a timer. When I sit down to work on my blog, I get off-topic and find myself endlessly scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, or a website. I could avoid this tangent by creating a rigid schedule for my time. I am twice as productive when there is a clear goal of what needs to be done and a timer set to keep me to it. For example, I have one hour to research monkeys playing board games and write a short article. If I do not schedule 30 minutes to study and 30 minutes to type, then set a timer. I will find myself 59 minutes later without something written. Time I have saved 30 minutes.
Wake an hour earlier. It is recommended that you sleep 7 to 9 hours each night. For your health, you should get that time to recharge. I wake after 6 or 7 hours and then toss and turn, half dreaming and not comfortable for another hour. Why not set my alarm to get 7 hours and then get up and work for an hour? I am more creative with a fresh mind as well. Also, prepare for a good night's sleep with stretching, a sleepy tea, and ambient music or nature sounds. Time I have saved 60 minutes.
Invite your partner or friend to join you. I asked my wife (Andrea) to join me. You know that hour we saved from not watching another TV show? Well, we can still spend it together doing something productive. Spending time with your partner, friend, or child working on your dream together is worth more than an hour watching the Squid Games. Time we have saved 60 minutes.
The total time saved was 3 hours and 40 minutes. Time rescued to use making your dreams come true. That is time well spent.
Do you have time-saving ideas to share? Write about them in the comments below.
