Time for you – Take your time….

Time: do you have any?

How often do you hear the argument: “I don’t have time for this!” The final statement when it comes to getting rid of an inquiry, a project or a customer. Strangely enough, the person opposite accepts this without blinking their eyes.

Nobody has time! You have to take your time!

There are many quotes on the subject of time Starting with the ancient Greeks or Romans. They had no Facebook, no Twitter, no internet, no television or other distractions… and yet: the time factor comes up here too. Just a few examples of how philosophers of those days have been thinking about the subject:

Let’s start with Seneca:

„It is not too little time that we have, but too much time that we do not use.“

Or the lovable Göttingen Original, Professor and Mathematician Lichtenberg:

„The people who never have time do the least.“

Not to forget the universal genius Leonardo da Vinci:

„Time lingers long enough for whoever wants to use it.“

Leonardo da Vinci

Every single quote is a resounding slap in the face for anyone who claims they don’t have time!

I could pick out 1,000 other quotes. Each one is a slap in the face. A resounding slap in the face for anyone who says they don’t have time. Using them sensibly and organizing oneself seems to be the solution.

It has never been so easy to waste time … Why do I procrastinate?

Oh, how nice it is to waste your time. You can collect ideas on Pintrest and watch an inspiring film on Amazon prime … and there is Facebook and Insta … and and and!

There are many offers. So many wonderful opportunities to loose track of time..

As an observer, you become more aware of what is happening. Whenever the “Facebook procrastination” starts, you should ask yourself a few questions:

• I’m tired?
• What am I not willing to decide right now?

In general you are not even interested in the content of the respective platform. While you browse, you loose 10, 20, 30 preacious minutes of your have passed before you return to your work. If you do not realize your plans and dreams will never turn into action ….

Is time linear?

What a question … if you really think about it, you quickly notice: Uff, out of my league! Anwering questions like this is for people who deal with theoretical physics. And yet: Da Vinci already confirmed in principle that time is not linear … If you want to use it to do something meaningful … it will be available long enough for you …

Let us dedicate ourselves to Napoleon and his view of time: “There are thieves who are not punished but who steal the most precious things from you: the time!”

Napoleon was certainly someone who made a lot of his time … even if not everything worked out as the general had imagined. Nevertheless, he summarized the subject of time well in this quote:

„What are your time thieves? Do you know them? Observe yourself for a few days … where do you let your time be stolen … or where do you waste it all by yourself …

The insights will certainly move you forward and the statement “I have no time” will certainly appear less often in your communication.

My personal time rituals

My DIY calendar

I’ve been making my own calendar for a few years now. It started with the fact that I never found a format that was right for me. Either there were too many pages or too few … I didn’t want to be presented in weeks or days. Months, yes, an overview for appointments and plans, but a day at hourly intervals? No! That captivates me and my creativity! In short, that was not practical for me. That’s not how my everyday life works.

So, without further ado, I took an empty notebook and a ruler and made the monthly remarks that fit me. The weeks and days are then entered in the booklet as required. Sometimes across many pages, sometimes not at all. So my “DIY calendar” offers exactly the space that every week, every day and every hour needs….

What if the booklet is “full”. No problem: take a new blank book and create a new monthly overview. Sometimes a booklet is „enough“ for a year, sometimes it is only good for 6 months. By the way: This is also a great way to measure your progress!

My morning round

Going for a walk in the morning gives me a great start into my day. I walk for 45-60 minutes every morning. A nice path, hardly any roads to cross … Time for me to get my body going and time to structure my day. I often use this hour in the morning for an audio book. Starting my day with new impulses from exciting books, which then give me new ideas …

This is my very personal start to the day. My personal start after having breakfast with the family and taking the children to school …

Now one could argue that it is a waste of time … but give it a try: How does your body feel after this hour? How do you feel because you accidentally spotted a green woodpecker or even a kingfisher while walking this morning round? How relaxed will you be, getting to your desk later…?

For me it’s the perfect start! Definitely an hour won!

These time rituals are welcome to be copied and I look forward to your suggestions on the subject of “time” your cookie4success