Putting this out on Monday, instead of Sunday, sorry to not meet my deadline. Also, as you might have noticed, I put my blog out on last Saturday instead of the usual Sunday. I was not keeping track of time and did not check; I hate making unthinking mistakes. But, that really does not matter, I got the words to you (hope you liked the read) and can start early on the next published blog.
Also, I had titled this blog, Blog–65, it should have been number 66, I need to read through and put things correctly before I send to you. Once again, editing is the key to good writing.
Speaking of time, currently that is much of what I have. Once we go through the closing on this house on Dec 19 and then close on the trailer on Dec 27, I will be able to apply myself and do much designing, building and construction to make our new home stand out, to make it magnificent.
That is a daily choice we have, to simply live with the way things are, or make each detail of our life exceptional. Also, from learning to live in a van, I have learned that a minimalist lifestyle can be a better life. So, being in a small area is more comfortable for me.
Live with less and make the most of what you have.
I wrote before about having the small file box stolen. Lost were photos that can never be replaced and news paper articles and personal things, it has still been affecting me. These were things that can never be replaced, yet, life will go on. When I first moved into the van I got rid of much, loss does not matter to me. Last week I heard of a fire which destroyed everything that five families had in their homes, so my loss is not much compared to these families.
I lost the past, as I have done before (a few times), but now I can build an even better future.
With this theft and our move to a new place, I start life again. I lost the past, as I have done before (a few times), but now I can build an even better future. I’ve learned that nothing really matters in life—money, success, poverty—the only thing that really matters is the love and caring that you give to other people.
I’ve had much loss in my life and started again many times. One time, years ago, my sister, Kath, told me once that she would eventually take her photos she has collected over time and burn them. This shocked me, destroying your past, but, now I see that it is really only the person who has the photos who cares.
As we live our life we move on and move away from things.
It all goes back to the end of life, in our conclusion we do not require anything. Marion sleeps a lot, sometimes I wonder when will the time when she will not awaken; such a strange feeling. Yet, that time will come for each of us; Marion is closer to that end point.
I must say right now, I miss being in the wilderness, much. Different circumstances put us in different environment. What must be done is to the best of our current situation.
Here is more from my book series, please, write to me and let me know what you think of my words. And, you will see more photos from our travels. Good thing I took many pictures, are you liking them?
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Another chapter from my book series, Beyond Your Potential
The Comeback Kit, From Coma to Comedy
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BOOK FOUR—LIFE CHANGING
A Series of Books to Change Your Life
By Kit Summers
Chapter 30– Do it Now
“Learn from the past,
set vivid, detailed goals
for the future, and live
in the only moment of
time over which you have
any control: NOW.”
Denis Waitley
My Time
Because some of my time was taken away from me, I wanted to find ways to use time better so that I could perform and function in the best potential with the least wasted time and effort. I had to be persistent and squeeze time to get the most out of the time I had. None of us can make time or manage time or control time. Time is time – no controlling it – at all.
Time-Management?
In this section I am stressing to use time efficiently. This does not mean to keep your toes (or nose) to the grindstone and never take a break. You will read suggestions on how to use your time more efficiently. The idea of time management is a parable. You control the situation; you do not control the time. You cannot manage time, but you can decide how you would like to use the time that you use. You have control of your own time; don’t let it take control of you. Yes, you have all the time in the world – use it wisely. As I am typing these words, I am sitting comfortably on my deck. I see the birds at the bird feeder, I hear the gentle breeze blowing, and I feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. Is this work? You make your time where, when, and how you want to. Why not spend time wisely on the best-quality life possible? You have that choice. Time management is simply a series of ways to live life more deliberately.
You are Getting Very Sleepy . . .
An average person spends 20 years of life asleep. I spent more than a month napping, which was enough for me. As we get up in age, we need less and less sleep. Last night I got four hours and am functioning fine. Sleep as often and as long as your mind and body need to, but don’t overdo it. So many people waste their life away sleeping too much. We have so much to accomplish in life, we don’t have time for too much sleep. What is tiredness anyway? Is being tired sleepiness? Then take a nap. Is it not having energy to do something? Set your mind to get the energy. I think often it is just laziness. You can control your energy output. Many people use tiredness as an escape to get out of life for a while.
Track Your Doings
Start a personal log of how you spend your time. It’s an immensely powerful way to bring awareness to your daily routines and how you spend your day. The simple act of logging your behavior will dramatically alter your life! Do this for a week or two, minute by minute, and you can see exactly how you spend your time and see where you can make more time.
Start With the Things You Don’t Want To Do
There are many things you do not want to do in your life, yet, they must be done. When you have a many things to do during your day at work, home, or wherever, tackle the toughest, most challenging things first. Start with the things that you want to put off until later. Once these projects are out of the way, you can get to the more pleasant things that need to be done. That way you are always looking forward to the upcoming tasks that you like more. Do this and get more accomplished in your life, faster, and be more pleased.
Procrastination
This book series would not be together if I stayed on the same path of think that one day I will get started. Almost everyone procrastinates from time to time, and some, too much. Take this book series for example. I started it and then I put it aside for some years. Once I did get started again it went smoothly and easily. I truly do not know why I didn’t work on it for so long. I think it’s a matter of JUST STARTING. I kind of got started, but I did not make the time to work on it. We make time for what’s important in our life. When I made this book a top priority, thee writing came quickly and easily. Many times, for just about anything, if you just take the beginning steps you will keep going. If you will use the steps of goal setting that is in chapter six it can help you smash through your procrastination and get on with things and get something accomplished.
Clear Your Life
To get things going smoothly so that you can accomplish more, it is a good idea to work from a clear desktop, whenever possible. You will be more productive and get things done faster. Studies show that the average person who works at a desk has 36 hours of work laid out in front of them. This can add up to a lot of stress, all coming from negative reminders of what’s not getting done. Sort through your projects and place them in an order of priority. Clear your desk, maybe having a table close to hold your current projects. Get one project done, put things away, clear your desk again, and then move on to the next project. This will do wonders for your mind.
Organize Better
A cluttered desk prompts us to tackle projects randomly, never actually finishing anything, which wastes a lot of time. Not only that, a cluttered desk prevents us from enjoying the positive feeling of getting things accomplished. Along with a clear desk, at the end of the day, I make sure that everything is where it should be, either in letters to go out, bills to be paid, including a stack of things to do tomorrow, and a stack of things to do next week. That way I start the next day with a clear desk and can look forward to the work ahead. When you get back to it the next day, only take on one project at a time. Do this and it will free your mind, you will get much more done, and be happier, too.
Your Home, Too
Organizing affects your whole life. If your home life is disorderly in the same way as your desk, you will be held back in life. Get your things in order and move through them by priority. For me, a minimal amount of material items works best in my life. Do you really need that? Or that? Figure out what is truly imperative in your life. Start getting rid of things you do not use (thrift store, here I come). Remember, death is going to happen to each one of us. We can’t wait until we are on our deathbed to clear our life, to get fundamental things done and our life in order.
The Cost of Time
· What’s time worth to you?
· Do you squander time?
· Do you analyze your life and see how you are spending your time?
Time certainly is more valuable than money. Time is a resource that everyone is given equally, yet why is it that some people have more time than others? Time is often more precious than money, we must use it well. We can’t deposit time into a bank like we can money. We can only spend time.
How Do You Spend Your Time?
Be careful how you spend this the time you are allotted. Wasting time is such a massive mistake, you must control how you spend this time you have. Pack your day with productive tasks, phone calls, and interactions with others that will have rewarding results for you. Every moment of your life you have to analyze and ask yourself if you might be wasting time. Are you making time to bring joy into your life? What about relaxing, socializing, and playing? Balance is key. Examine how you use the time you have. Be more cautious with how you spend your time. Arrange for business meetings at mealtimes. Make phone calls when you’re having your hair cut, waiting to see a doctor, or getting your nails done. Listen to motivational or how-to recordings when you are driving. Really examine your life to see where you could make more time.
If you have a task to do
Do it now
Today the skies are bright and blue
So do what you have to do
Yesterday is not for you
Do it now
If you have to juggle
Juggle now
Tomorrow may not work
Throw things like you’re in a cirque
You must, you must, like a Turk
Juggle now
If you have a song to sing
Sing it now
Let the sounds of gladness ring
Clear as the song of a bird in spring
Let every moment some music bring
Sing it now
If you have pleasant words to say
Say them now
Tomorrow may not come your way
Do kindness while you may
Loved ones will not always stay
Say them now
If you have a smile to show
Bring it on now
Make hearts happy, roses grow
Let the friends around you know
The love you have before they go
Show it now
Time is of the Essence?
Many people tell themselves, “I’ll do it when I have more time.” Each of us has all the time there is (think about those words for a moment). We make time for what’s important to us. If it’s important to you, you will find or make time. Come to think of it, how do you find time? I’ve looked under rocks, in the mountains, in caves at the ocean. I’ve never found time ever in my life. If it isn’t that important to you, don’t lie to yourself and others and say, “I don’t have time.” You just don’t want to fit it into your schedule. We all have time to fill, to get things done, it’s our choice of how we spend the time we have.
How to Spend Time
When we are waiting in line, waiting for a client, waiting for a bus, figure out some projects and tasks that can be worked on during the times while you are waiting. Perhaps work on learning that new language you want to learn while waiting to see a doctor, or read a book that will benefit you, or make those calls you need to make. Break things down into segments of time that you can document.
Time Wasters
People who steal your time – I call them time-wasters. What or who are your time-bandits? People who keep us in a meaningless conversation that never ends, people asking unintelligent questions that don’t stop coming, or someone who doesn’t speak coherently and you have to keep asking them to repeat what they are saying. You must find a way to pardon yourself and get away from these people. Are you, yourself, a time-waster? Do you spend too much time on the computer looking at trivial web sites or reading email that is of no value, or making personal calls for no reason?
Take Control
it’s your time. Use it in a diligent way. Waiting for your car to be fixed, waiting for doctor appointments or waiting for an airplane. . . As we live, it’s not possible to avoid waiting for someone or something. But you don’t need to just stand around and do nothing. Always take something with you to do, such as that report you need to read, your checkbook that needs to be balanced, a magazine to read that will educate you, or just a pad of paper that you can use to plan future things. Technology makes it simple to work wherever you are. Use your smart phone or tablet to help you stay connected.
Chart Your Activities
Here’s a way to truly figure out when and where you can make more time. Keep a record of your life for one week, only seven days. We often don’t see where we are wasting time while we are using that time.
· Are you sleeping too much when you could be accomplishing things?
· Are you making small-talk with people unnecessarily?
· Are you doing menial tasks when you could invest your time in more meaningful things?
· Are you taking a full hour to eat a meal when you only need fifteen minutes?
Putting it Off
One of the biggest challenges in trying to accomplish any project or goal is that we tend to put the project off until tomorrow, or next week, or next year (or forever), because we think it is just too immense or we have more important matters at work and home. Unfortunately, tomorrow never arrives for these projects. Make the time to start on it today.
Time Never Changes
When we do have some time, we are often too tired to do anything that requires get-up-and-go or thought. We want to mindlessly sit in front of the TV, or take a nap, or play games on the computer. Think about what is most important, and then get to it! No matter how well thought-out we are, there are always only twenty-four hours in a day. Time just goes on and doesn’t change. We have to transform to meet time. All we can essentially manage is ourselves and what we accomplish with the time that we have allotted to us. So, there is no such thing as time management. Actually, time manages us, if we allow it to.
Time Tools
Whether it’s a Day-Timer or a computer program or a smart phone, the first step to physically planning your time is to know where your time going now and where you are planning to spend your time in the future. I use Google calendar, for instance, which lets me schedule events easily and can be set to remind me of events in advance, making my scheduling much easier. I organize my calendar each night. I list all of my tasks for the next day in order of priority. I keep working toward getting as many completed as I can, making it a game. Really, the key to good use of time is organizing. Learn to organize your life and work well and you will have all the time in the world.
Focus
There have been many times when I have brought on stress by having too many projects to work on. I would get part of each one done, but not all the way. I would see all my projects as a whole and this would overwhelm me. I eventually scheduled my time differently so that I set aside time to work on different projects and get them completed by taking small steps toward the end result. I would spend a few hours on each project and that kept me from losing my concentration for any one thing. Teach yourself to focus all of your attention on what you are doing at the time.
The Clock Clicks Down
We control the clock and our time. Don’t let time control you. Although time is always going by, we can’t let it control us. Set your schedule so that you make room for the things that you have to do. Phone calls should go out at definitive times, and then allow incoming calls at only certain times. Also, be available for meetings with people at certain time. Handle each piece of mail only once, read it or do what you need, then forget it. When you have to go out in your car or take public transportation, combine the things that you must do while you are out. If you can, delegate work or outsource tasks that can be done by others. Do these things and you have more time to do what you need to.
Outline and Structure
To move ahead in life avoid the three P’s:
PERFECTION
PROCRASTINATION
PARALYSIS
Stay away from these things. Time is short. Actually, time is time, short or long. Just don’t waste time. Pay yourself by outlining and structuring your future NOW to be the best it will be for you.
Relax
In this section on time management I’m not suggesting that you just go-go-go. You must also take time for yourself in your new world. Here are some suggestions on building your new life in special ways. Work toward doing as many of these, on a daily basis, as you can.
· Go for an early brisk walk, which will awaken your body and mind and, as you know, your body was made to move. Walking will strengthen your heart, the strongest muscle you have.
· Drink more water. Our body, which is ninety percent water, needs to keep taking water in to function properly. Drinking more water will help with many of the aches and pains we experience in our life.
· Make time to juggle for forty-eight minutes today. This will boost your body and mind and set you on a good path.
· Hug someone. When you give someone a hug, more than just for them, it makes you feel better as well. Hugs do wonders for your outlook.
· Eat a large salad. You already know that I eat a salad daily at 4pm. Packed with vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll and enzymes, salads are excellent for your health. This advice must become a daily ritual.
· Make and drink green juice. Yes, you can drink a cucumber. Use a little fruit along with your greens to experience the sweeter side of life. Green juices will help your body heal and you will live better. They are a dynamo of nutrients that help your body feel better and invigorate you all at once.
· Do deep breathing for at least five minutes and as often as you can. Research shows that deep breathing, brings more oxygen into your lungs, even briefly, and will reduce stress hormone levels for your better life. That translates into less worry, better sleep, and it will help keep your weight in control.
· Meditate. A relaxing time out can do you well. Meditating will set your mind at a higher, more balanced level. Now and then, just take some time out to clear your mind and get away from technology and people. This can help you feel more calm and peaceful.
· Take time to get back to nature. Go out and hear the birds, see the trees, smell that flower. Along with making you feel fabulous, you will be exposed to natural aromatherapy with relaxing, energizing, and therapeutic effects. When you return to your responsibilities, you will be thinking more clearly to get more done.
· Write down at least seven things for which you are truly grateful. People are helping you, things are getting done. Be thankful and grateful that they are. Growing amounts of research shows that sincere appreciation builds better health and happiness. Let the world know you care by being grateful.
· Use less toxic chemicals. Most people use more toxic chemicals than they realize. Smelly dryer sheets, laundry detergent, dish soap, body wash, antiperspirants, cologne and perfume, nail polish and hair spray, the list goes on and on. There are other natural sources for these items. Do some research and find the natural things you need.
· Do something unusual for someone in secret. Next time you are going through a toll-booth, pay for the car behind you. Ask the attendant to tell them to do something nice for somebody down the road. One time, after a short and sincere conversation with someone, they secretly took care of the cost of my meal at a restaurant. It made me see that there were still good people in the world. Surprise someone today – in secret.
· Do something memorable for yourself. For dinner, plan and prepare a delicious meal for yourself and others. Jump in the bath and soak for a while using Epsom salts. After your bath, use a natural brush to go over your whole body using small circles, working from your extremities toward your heart, which boosts your blood circulation to help eliminate toxic waste buildup in your tissues while enhancing your energy. Make yourself feel special today…and every day.
This is your life, make the time for things you love and people you love.
