I dropped in at a friend’s place and was pleasantly surprised to see a young girl open the door. She was my friend’s niece. This young girl was in the city on official duty for a day and had dropped in to see her aunt before boarding her flight back home.
It was wonderful to see such a young girl taking time out to meet an elderly person. She told me that whenever she travels to any city, she makes it a point to spend time with elderly relatives or family friends in that city. She also said that each time it was a wonderful experience to brighten up someone’s day!
Some people make it possible even in their hectic schedule to visit people on their birthdays, anniversaries, or for no reason. They say that seeing the joy on the faces of those they visit makes it worth taking the trouble to make time!
One of my colleagues has set aside two hours every Saturday to speak with elderly relatives. She shared that the joy she experiences is incomparable to many things.
Some people spend time doing social work. Every person who volunteers shares their time with others. They keep doing it because sharing their time has a magical effect on others.
Do you remember your grandparents? You loved them when you were very young because they had time for you. Remember, how you loved your uncle and aunt when they visited because they brought you exciting gifts and spent time taking you out to places? Do you have time for them?
Today, it is very common to hear people say, “I’m very busy, I have no time!” In a world of “I, Me, and My”, it is easier to say “I’m busy” than try to even call someone let alone meet them and spend time with them.
I keep wondering whether people really have no time or say so. Hence, I decided to examine this statement a little more deeply.e
My Findings
- People who have no written schedule or to-do lists are poor at managing time and hence are always under pressure.
- Some people have a neat to-do list and manage time well, yet they say that they do not have time.
- Some people are busy attending work but make time for their hobbies as well as family and friends.
After spending a good amount of time with the people who made time for everything, I realized that “having time” or “not having time” often comes from the priorities we set for ourselves.
What is sad is that “I’m very busy, I have no time!” is being made acceptable by people as they say that their children or spouse are busy with studies or work when they do not attend family functions.
Are people so busy that relationships take the position of least priority?
We see many people working hard to finish the jobs at hand, while many people prefer to just while away time on social media. Why? Is it because social media is their priority? Isn’t it surprising that social media is more important than being social and meeting people? Or are they telling themselves they are busy just to escape something?
Caught in the web of being busy with social media taking away a big chunk of the day, the real social connection is missing. Keeping away from communicating with others is driving people away from each other. Mental health issues are on the rise and one of the reasons is a lack of communication!
People’s priorities allow them to make time available for fulfilling what they have chosen whether it is the right priority is another matter.
All such people can do it because their priority has shifted from “Me” to “We”.
If you feel the need to find time, follow these tips:
Tips to Prioritise Life
- First identify what matters to you most. These are your values.
- Connect your values to your goals – find purpose in what you are pursuing. If something is not worth your time, let go.
- Manage your commitments – align your priorities to your goals and your core values.
- Overcome obstacles – have a strong purpose so that you can overcome every obstacle by taking it as a challenge.
- Take responsibility for how you spend your time, don’t take things for granted.
- Ask yourself how important other people are in your life.
- Complete one thing at a time.
- Have an accountability partner who will remind you to stick to your schedule.
- Identify what distracts you and work on limiting distractions.
- Restrict your Social Media time- you will find time for many things!
When you start prioritizing ask yourself these questions:
- Does your family have a priority with you?
- Are friends important?
- Do you have time for a visit to a friend or neighbour?
- Is contributing some time to social work meaningful?
- Do you have a hobby that means something to you?
If the answer is “yes” to these questions, you will surely make time for them.
When you find time, you will experience the magic of sharing your time!
