Make time for the things that enrich

If you have set your aspirations for 2018 (see ‘The Beginning’) or just for this month (‘Reflection’), you may have noticed that there is a lot of white noise in-between these things that you would like to do and the things that you simply must do – be it work, grocery shopping, eating, washing and so on.  How can you quieten that noise a bit to find some more ‘me time’?

Put simply, a good start would be to:

• review exactly the things that you enjoy doing;
• consider the people who you really benefit from spending time with; and
• consult your diary/calendar and clear out as many things as you can that do not fall into either category.  An old work friend of mine used to call this ‘self-preservation’!

However, the reality is that this exercise requires a lot more thought to ensure that you get it right before you needlessly cull your diary.  This week let’s take a step or two back and start by considering these key questions:

What are genuinely your favourite things?

What inspires you and makes your heart sing?

If you can take some minutes out of this week to think about these things, you may find it easier to think about what sort of goals or dreams that you want to achieve.

This may be simple for some, but for many people operating on strict schedules of obligations it can take all of their ‘minutes for me’ to think of this one thing alone.  If you were to ask a child what their favourite things are, albeit somewhat transient, they will gladly list them all without a second thought.  As we get older we get more and more embroiled in the duties of being a responsible and socially compliant adult, so it can take time to work back to the core you – your inner child – to rediscover the things that enkindle your passions.

Activity #3 – Write down your favourite things

Start by writing down as many things that you like as possible, regardless of whether they are your favourite things or not.

Use these techniques for inspiration:

• Look back over your photos and video clips over the past year and see what makes you smile the most.

• Think about all of the things that you have done this month that you have really enjoyed.

• Check over your diary to remind you of things that you committed to over the last year – making a note of those that inspire the happiest memories.

• Think back to the activities that you enjoyed as a child, or as a teenager/young adult – are they still things that make you happy now?

Once you have these in front of you, highlight all of the ones that really stand out to you: things that make your heart sing and make you feel light on your feet.

Make a start on this thought process this week, we will combine it with another next week which should help you review your own diary/schedule for the forthcoming months into next year.