Taking Back Your Calendar

While driving home from work the other day, I heard a statistic on the radio that made my heart sink.  While many of us have hundreds, if not thousands, of Facebook friends, Twitter followers or LinkedIn connections, on average, a person has just 2 close friends who would be there for them in a crisis.  This made me stop to think how many relationships I’ve thrown by the wayside because I was too busy or too lazy to keep the lines of communication open and build deep relationships with those I care about.

Each of us is given 168 hours every week.  After subtracting time for sleep and time for work, we’re left with about 60 hours to spend on family, friends, community involvement, self, etc.  In order to be able to make time for the people and activities we see as important, we must prioritize our lives and first spend our time on our highest priorities.  This means learning to say no and learning to set healthy boundaries.

In order to be most effective with your time, consider calendaring.  It may be helpful to design your ideal week.  Once you’ve designed your ideal week, you’ll be able to set some healthy boundaries and be able to say no to activities or tasks that cut into your time spend building relationships with those you care about, serving in your community, and having some down time to relax and rejuvenate.