Reclaim your time to be able to do things you love, to contribute and to grow. 3 ways you can achieve all that:
Learn to become selfish before being selfless.
It sounded so counter intuitive the first time I heard this but this actually makes a lot of sense.
You want to help others? Great. How can you help others if you don’t know how to fix yourself first? How can you help others if you are not yourself already prepared and equipped with some solid mental and physical health?
The best way you can contribute to this world is if you are sain, healthy and in conditions.
And in order to do so, you need to prepare, train and spend the time learning.
This means to put yourself before anything else or to become selfish before being selfless.
To reclaim your time, you have to identify your personal time and start cherishing it above the rest.
I’m talking about spending time with yourself. Learn about yourself, listen to your body. Do things you like or never really have the time to do.
Mindset: invest in yourself so others can invest in you.
How can you start to invest in yourself?
I started on this journey by waking up 10 minutes before others and going into the common areas and making myself coffee, cleaning, tidying up the place and enjoying my coffee alone.
It is not that easy to find time alone or for yourself. We are being told that it is very mean and bad to be selfish. But this is not about others here.
It is about you being better prepared to help others. If you want to help others, start preparing yourself. And if you want to be ready; then you need time alone, time for yourself.
Now it has turned into a full morning routine, that is still the same for the past 2 years. After this 2 hour window spent alone, I am feeling amazing. It’s the best way to start your day.
There is no “work life balance”. Work is your life.
Second way to reclaim your time is to choose a career or a job where you are happy to go everyday.
Imagine that you spend 8 hours per day there. It’s 2/3 of your day spent on others’ problems.
I say “others problems” because even if you are in the business game to make money for yourself, the money is coming from other people’s pockets. And they give it to you because you have solve their problems in a way that helped them not to do it themselves.
This is a starting point: enroll into a mission or a job where you can perceive the value of your work. Watch out for signals where you are affraid of Mondays or where you come back from work and you are completely kaput (no more energy).
How are you contributing and growing in your work-life is a good measure of your level of happiness at work.
I don’t have a “work life balance”. My work is part of my day as much as my morning routine. My career is how I express myself and move toward my end goals in life.
Become able to have full power over decisions you make in life. Without any condition.
Become your own boss. Not necessarily at work, but become the big boss of your life.
Decide things for yourself and learn to take responsibilities.
Be this responsible adult, at all levels of your life: from fitness to relationship to finances.
How is this related to reclaiming your time?
Because you become in full capacity to decide what you will do with your life. It’s the sacriest part, obviously, but it’s the most fulfilling one.
Getting out of your comfort zone. Making those important decisions for yourself. Being able to do so requires a great understanding of how valuable you are and how you want to spend your time.
