When we were in Morocco, our guide got used to us being 10-15 minutes late to everything. Eventually, he got tired of reassuring us and we got tired of apologizing– so he told us this: “In the West you have watch. In Africa we have time.”
I can still hear his accent and see his charming smile as he calmed his weary guests. Whether he ought to have spoken for the entire continent of Africa was irrelevant– I, on the other hand, am certainly familiar with the culture of rushing, even while on vacation. What is it that we love about efficiency?
Despite the obvious benefits of punctuality and expediency, I am convinced that speed isn’t exactly what we’re after here in the West. What we want is meaning. Time well spent. Some of us might enjoy the thought of completing a hundred useless tasks in an hour, but I imagine most of us would prefer completing one single important task instead. At the end of the day, I want to know that I did at least one thing that mattered.
This is likely why intentionality has become the buzzword of 2016. Of the myriad things we do each day, we want something to count– not just in a quantifiable way, but in a soul-filling, joy-inducing way. Being intentional means recognizing the value of our time and its possibilities, and making the best of it.
The importance of building habits
Most of us can attest to the fact that discipline doesn’t come naturally. If given permission, many of us might watch television and eat chocolate all day, everyday. But we desire more– so we must build ourselves towards that. As I think about my most productive and meaningful days, I realize that there are particular practices that make that happen. Here they are.
5 Ways to be More Intentional with Your Time
1) Categorize your tasks and designate a time slot.
In other words, make a plan– not just a checklist. Most of us love lists, and crossing items off of lists, but our lists need an added component: time slots. Whether you plan a whole day or simply plan the next two hours, giving yourself a time to start and stop discourages procrastination. Furthermore, creating categories can aid with focus. Complete each task category one at a time rather than switching back and forth between vastly different tasks. Even the act of organizing can galvanize focus and motivation.
2) Eat that frog as soon as you can.
Mark Twain famously said, “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.” Don’t let the task you dread most be the one you save for last. Get it over with– and move on. Otherwise, the dread can hang over the rest of your tasks and distract you until it’s done.
3) Schedule your free time and how you’re going to spend it.
Have you ever expected to have a free day, and then ended up not doing much but feeling tired anyway? Me, too. The challenge with free time, of course, is how to use your time off well. If you’re lucky enough to take breaks throughout your day, plan in advance what you’re going to do. You can go outside for some fresh air, take a 15-minute power nap, sip on some (caffeinated) tea, read that news article you save for later, or call a friend to catch up. Whatever is restful or beneficial, plan on doing that.
4) Feed your soul the inspiration it needs.
Self-control is difficult to cultivate. But the more we feed ourselves the right thing, the more we desire it. It might be easy to turn on the TV while we’re doing our chores, or scroll through social media while at the gym. But these things can bog us down with less-than-constructive thoughts, useless information and the desire to plant ourselves on the couch for the rest of the day. While there is a place for TV and social media, we need to designate that place. Instead of watching TV while I cook, I now listen to educational podcasts, or simply enjoy the quietness.
5) Communicate wisely and effectively.
The average person spends 13 hours a week sorting, reading, and writing emails (source). For some of us it’s our job, while some of us check our emails like it’s our job– not to mention all other communication channels. Ways to minimize this include creating canned responses (if appropriate), unsubscribing from irrelevant lists, and designating a time to read and write emails each day. But more importantly, most of us can benefit from uttering fewer words. This can mean cutting down on gossip, defensive comments, and text messages that beat around the bush.
Related: 5 Secrets of Powerful Speech
The bottom line is that most of us can use our time better, and desire to do so, but are not sure where to start. Advanced technology makes our lives easier in giving us communication channels and access to information at an unprecedented speed. Surprisingly, this speed slows us down because it’s so easy to say we’ll check “just one more thing.” If we’re to live with intention this year and for years to come, we will have to give ourselves the tools to do so.
[Tweet “Want to be more intentional with your time? 5 simple habits via @daisylinshih #intention”]
In this modern era such kind of information is more essential for us and i hope everybody are like this tips to be international in here. To get more information such kind of education is need so more for us.
I really enjoyed this post! I found it while browsing Pinterest. I like your tip for scheduling free time and deciding how to spend it. Most of the time I spend it watching Netflix or something that does not have meaning. I believe changing the focus of my free time will definitely have a positive impact, so thank you for that! I am going to share this post on my Friday Favorites series this Friday on my blog, if you would like to read it. My blog is http://www.awelderswife.com Have a blessed day!
Thank you, Emily! I’m so glad to hear that this resonated with you– that means a lot.
Yes exactly! Self care doesn’t happen on its own… we need to be very intentional and even disciplined about it. Thanks for reading and commenting, Anne!
I loved this. There are so many articles and posts on the topic, but yours was more convicting than many. It hit home. Thank you!
2016 has me focusing more on one and how I use mine. Love these tips and suggestions. The frog one? So true. Get the hard stuff out of the way first. And I love scheduling free time. Makes self care a priority in my eyes.
I love how you broke that down into two tiers– that’s brilliant! It’s true that there are small fussy things that are obligatory but don’t feel significant, while other things are integral to our wellbeing and our sense of purpose!
Yes, I loved that quote the first time I heard it! And I agree– our blogs feel like half-work, half-leisure, and it’s easy to default to working on them when we could probably use some time for pure relaxation.
You’re exactly right, Anna! Thanks for reading and commenting! 🙂
Thank you Susannah, I appreciate that!
Scheduling free time seems silly but it is so hard to do sometimes! Our days are so filled with things we must get done, that it is necessary to have free time!
These are some fabulous tips! I struggle with time – especially as a mom of a crazy little guy – but I’m going to work at implementing these tips!
All of these sound great. This is something I am really trying to do in 2016. The first one really resonated with me because I started doing something similar. So I got two tiers – tier 1 are the really important things that carry weight and then tier 2 is more the mundane task – it will be great if they got done , but there is really no impact beyond the now. I have done better with knocking out those tier 1 important task, but still have a long way to go. I am going to incorporate some of your other suggestions.
I cannot speak for the whole continent either, of course, but in West Africa they’ve got the time, too 😉 Paired with language barriers it was a very good school for my patience, I have to say 😀
I love that Mark Twain quote! He’s always been one of my favorites! I’ve found that part to be so true. When I get the hard things done first I’m more productive for my whole day! I need to be more intentional about scheduling my free time too. Since I blog “on the side,” it’s easy for my free time to get filled with that instead of other life-giving things. Love these tips!
Definitely! I (an INFJ) am a structure person myself, but even for those who prefer more spontaneity, as backwards as it may sound, you can /schedule/ time during which you’re free to be spontaneous.
For example, my sister (an ENFP) is that way, and rather than schedule specific times to do things with people, she schedules entire free days, during which she can randomly decide to go hang out with friends, go shopping, or whatever. So scheduling in whatever manner you choose is really great for all types of people.
I think I will sometime. (: Probably next month.
That’s a great way to approach it, Mica. Our various seasons allow for different amounts of control over our time, and we all have to find the best balance we can. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thank you, Hannah! It’s so tempting to watch episode after episode of whatever– but I always feel more tired and sluggish afterwards!
Your friend is so right! It’s easy to let our free time slip by without using it effectively– while some people bulk at the thought of structure, it can actually be helpful!
I hope you do write a blog post on this– it’ll be great!
I love the concept of utilizing our time intentionally! Thank you for speaking to this, Daisy! I usually feel like I do well in this area…but I DEFINITELY have days where I lapse back into time on Netflix and productivity vanishes out the window, haha! These tips are really useful!
I think the scheduling free time is a really good point! 🙂
Wit a toddler I don’t have time to myself – I have a nap time that could be really short or really long, ha! So I’ve learnt to prioritise what I do around his schedule. When he naps I do things I can’t do with him there, like blogging or checking emails. But when he’s awake I can do laundry, wash dishes, sweep and tidy, things he loves to help with 🙂 It’s definitely been a change for me being a mum and not being able to just relax and do whatever in my free time, haha! There is definitely that sense of achievement you talk about when you manage to get things done though 🙂
Away From The Blue Blog
#Struggles Book giveaway!
Another wonderful post! I love the concept of scheduling your free time. In fact, I was just talking with a friend of mine about the subject of free time, and she brought up “scheduled free time”, since she’d just had her first baby and was looking for ways to structure her days better in order to be available for the needs of her daughter, but also allow time to take care of her own needs.
I really think the idea of being intentional with time is vital to living a life you don’t feel you need a vacation from. And it’s tough. Because we’re so easily distracted, it’s common for us to jump on social media and have distracted “free time”, rather than productive, meaningful, and restful free time.
Anyway, this comment is getting longish. I should write a blog post about this subject sometime, I suppose. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about being purposeful with our time. It was worth mine and I’ll definitely be sharing it.
Thank you, Kat! Yes, sometimes we have to deal with those menial tasks– but those are the ones I procrastinate on and they take even longer!
Exactly. Once I had a school counselor force me to make a list of the things that matter most to me. Then she made me write down my daily schedule. The discrepancy is striking!
Yes it’s a cycle! When we waste time during the day we stay up late, and then proceed to waste time the next day. You’re not alone. 🙂
Yes! I love it.
Thank you Summer! 🙂 Yes, ironically I’ve felt more rested when I have plans for that free time– otherwise I end up on the couch doing nothing.
Love this post! And, it’s been something I’ve been struggling with a lot lately. I find my day filled with tons of small, menial tasks that don’t leave me feeling fulfilled or satisfied at the end of the day. It’s one of my goals to fill my time with more of those things that actually matter to me. Thanks for your amazing insight, as always!
xoxo
Kat
Right now I’m thinking alot about what I say my priority is and how I actually spend my time…the 2 need to line up, and often they don’t. I say practicing my violin is a priority, but then I spend a lot of time on instagram and barely leave time to practice. So really, instagram was my priority…
This is an area I struggle with more than I can describe. It usually results in late nights and lack of sleep, which leads to equally unproductive days to follow. Or nights where I just lay in bed thinking about all the things I could be doing. I like what your guide said to you. I wish we could actively live in a world where all we had was time. Think of how refreshing that would be. (:
http://www.accordingtokiki.net
I’ve never heard the frog quote, but that’s so true!
Love this, Daisy! I really need to work on planning what to do in my spare time. I feel I would be much more intentional and productive if I did that. I also need to get better at prioritizing.