How Could You Use Your Time More Wisely
Time is our most valuable resource.
You can't hoard, collect, earn or buy time.
And each moment that is gone... is gone forever.
Although we all know how limited our time is, we mostly act as if time has no value.
We use words like "spend time", "kill time", or "waste time" while we only have 24 hours in each day.
And yet, for many of us, it seems there are not enough hours in a day.
So... we ask you today to INVEST a little precious time and think for yourself
How could you use your time more wisely?
Here's Our Suggestion:
Each morning start your day by answering these three questions:
- What MUST you do to create the most impact today?
- What SHOULD you do today to create a better future?
- What do you WANT to do so you will have an awesome day?
Then commit to do the most valuable action(s) based on your answers to these questions.
Now It's Your Turn
We can’t wait to read your comment and get inspired.
And until then...
MUST: Keep setting myself (small) goals
SHOULD: Ask myself these three questions every day 😉 !
WANT: Complete my goals for the day and then do something to relax (such as singing and playing guitar)
Thanks Ben for this valuable comment.
Would love to hear what would be your most impact action to take today?
Setting goals (tiny ones each day)
Evaluate this at the end of the day
Keeping a gratitude journal
Thank you Jürgen for this great and valuable input.
Curious to know what are you grateful for today?
Hi Vered and, or Nisandeh, after doing this great exercise a week – it is helpful!
I am reflecting on it and realize that the question I find most difficult is the one about the most impactful action.
To think of one! I understand it should be an action that makes a real difference. Every day. Do you have some tips?
Thanks so much for your very good question Alexandra!
What you want to check first is what YOU call biggest impact.
Is it the amount of people that you want to touch that day?
Is it what would move you the most towards your goals that day?
Is it the one action that is the one that would bring you most (happiness, joy, health… whatever it is that you want to achieve with that action)?
It doesn’t have to one the same answer each day, but it should be the one that for YOU that DAY would bring most impact so that day for you is used in the best way possible.
Curious to hear what you would come up with
I’m shook up due to physical problems after an accident and loosing three loved ones the last year.
It’s sad, but to be honest: by reading these questions I feel intimidated: I should do great things.
I don’t have a dream, purpose or goal at the moment. I ‘drift’ through the day. Knowing I could get more out of it.
Dear Ellen, sorry to hear about your accident and the hard times you’re going through. Sending you lots of love and healing energies.
One of the best ways to heal from such events is to find your purpose in life.
Start by creating a dream and goals for your life as it is NOW.
There are no coincidences in life, even if they are painful. We are all here in a journey to learn and grow. See how you can grow from this.
That’s maybe the best that you can do with your time.
Would love to read what goals would you set for yourself in light of this
Thank you dear Vered.
I want to learn from this: being independent like I was before my accident and not in the hard, lonely way as it was then. Being happy with me, just me. In the way that I am. The last weeks I reached out to friends and this morning I applied for therapy to support me. Also applied for a work coach to sort out in what field I shall restart my entrepreneurship.
Great to hear that you reached out for support and help, Ellen.
Sometimes that the first step to take in order to heal…
Keep us posted…
Thanks Vered to remember me of how I like to start my day. it’s so easy to forget.
I start to ask myself 3 questions:
1. What’s in my head? 2. What do I want to achieve today? 3. What’s on my to do list.
Then I decide what has the most priority and how much time do I expect to spend on it. My goal is, at least, to spend time on what I wanted to achieve for the day.
Thanks and have a nice day.
How can I use my time more wisely?
– I make a to do list (mostly the evening before)
– get out of bed at six
– do one thing at the time and take care that its not too much because pressure makes me lose focus.
I am clear about my goal (for the next ten years)
I am clear about my goals in the wheel of life.
I write a gratefulness journal
Thanks Vered…for the questions
take care Maria
Change angry mind into, choosing to do something nice to cool down. And look to the relatively of the thought that made me angry. And ask myself is it true!
Love the questions.
Just added them to my 30 min start of the day routine of every work day.
Thanks Timon for your input.
Would love to read your ideas how to use time better
After answering the 3 questions I realised I needed to define my goals more specific then together with the S.Covey quadrant of important / urgent, I am able to classify my to do list more clearly and make the most of my day and make it awesome. Thanks
I use from now my time to start the day with Qigong exercises.
Thanks Japke for your great tip.
Great way to start the day!
To take time to answer these three questions already gives a special feeling. Like being more focussed and more aware….
And also it gives appreciation for what I am doing.
Visualizing my goal: “support children and their parents in exploring paths in maths ?” will come as a natural part of answering these questions.
Hi Evelyn,
We had to translate your comment into English as this is an International group and some people do not understand Dutch but could benefit from what you wrote.
Next time, please post in English. If you’re uncertain with your English you can always use Google Translate.
Time is a precious commodity to me, as is my energy.
Answering these questions sometimes gives me enormous satisfaction and sometimes makes me very frustrated, because I want so much and cannot do it all in the time I have available.
Making choices is not that easy for me. Partly because some choices do not feel voluntary because they are consequences of previous choices of which I could not fully understand the consequences, but with which I have to deal.
======================================
Tijd is voor mij een kostbaar goed, net als mijn energie.
Het beantwoorden van deze vragen geeft me soms enorme voldoening en maakt me soms enorm gefrustreerd, omdat ik zoveel wil en het niet allemaal kan in de tijd die ik ervoor beschikbaar heb. Keuzes maken vind ik nog niet zo gemakkelijk. Mede doordat sommige keuzen niet aanvoelen als vrijwillig omdat deze gevolgen zijn van eerdere keuzes waarvan ik de consequenties niet helemaal kon overzien, maar waarmee ik wel moet dealen.
I like the 3 questions! I’ll answer them for a week every day to see how they help to use my time more wisely.
Great to hear that Arnoud,
Would love to read your answers for today… share it with us…
1 I start to be greatfull for the new day.
2 Smile to problems.
3 Be more in the present
Love what you wrote Maarten. Thanks for this concise input.
Would love to hear how you become more in the present these days?
How come we waste so much time? My life feels like rippling water on the beach. Incidentally, this metaphorical beach is the most beautiful place to be there for me. As soon as a wave comes I move along and every day looks more and more alike.
All I want is to be able to deliver value to more people as a trainer / coach more often per day. Everything is running smoothly and I am grateful for the life I lead. There is no storm and the wind never stops completely and there are never too high waves or no waves. It ripples on nicely and that feels like I’m wasting too much time.
Thanks Marcel for a lovely metaphor of the waves and the beach,
Curious to hear what you do on a daily basis with it?
Thank you for your question Vered,
It’s gripping me because I’m not motivated enough to bring in more customers. The Corona pandemic is also contributing to this. I am looking for an incentive to invest more time in acquiring new customers despite corona.
Must: mail former clients in order to resume last years cancelled contracts for work.(covid 19). And stay in contact for this year.
Should: endure, persistant disciplines, get in line, stay in line, my daily to do lists.
Would: all the above things.
Thanks Jur again for a valuable input.
Would love to hear what you WANT to do?
My work, my passion, that stopped since Corona. Surprise and inspire people, make people smile. Streetperforming that I did for 25 years.
Thank you for this concise gem of a post 🙂
a little story from my experience…
After my daughter was born (now about two years ago) I felt like I had to (or had the opportunity to) build everything again. As if my world came to a stop for a moment and then slowly started turning again. More or less from the start of the pregnancy (when everything had to ‘slow down’) I experienced increasing frustration about not being able to respond to the world as I wanted to (or was used to), but I realized that it meant that I had to choose more carefully what I wanted to do and be honest about the bandwidth of my possibilities. So I tried to ask myself all the time what was most important to me to “make happen now” within this framework and how I could make it work (honestly, and “realistically”) and slowly the ‘unrest’ and frustration started to turn into more appreciation for the things I was actually experiencing in the moment (for one thing spending a lot of time with my beautiful daughter) and joy in doing the things that were possible with the available time and energy.. (I’m still practicing everyday of course ;).
So I would say first of all this realization of scarcity (of time and energy) – what your post is about – helps a lot in setting you up for using the time more wisely..
btw. Meanwhile, it seems to me like this exercise is being repeated in some way (and for many people) in the current situation with the lockdown (with daycare/schools closed etc.).
..another thing I started doing – because I was often very tired (because of the broken nights) and not always able to make clear decisions – was slowly building little rituals and – sort of -‘algorithms’ for many of the things that need to happen in a day / week / month. Doing many things in a fixed order or in a fixed moment (also very helpful for the child ;), and creating ‘if – then’ “rules” for all kinds of situations. In my experience this freed up quite some headspace (relatively) for being creative and making progress in the precious time available to fill in “freely”.
I have to say that at this moment my headspace is held hostage
by of the struggle making it through this pandemic financially – I’m a musician and live from performances and teach music lessons; singing and choirs; which was being discouraged (for the risk of transfer through the breath), but I’m confident that it will ‘clear up’ again.
Thank you so much Sietske for your honest and valuable input. I think many of us can relate to what you have written.
I love the idea of developing “mini-rituals” that help you through the day. Would love to hear how you do it and with what you came up with
What I must do is prepare myself a day before.
exercise or walk every single day in the morning
What I should do is take the time and clear my head and meditate about what my day is going to be like when everything goes the way I like it.
What I really want to do is having great one on one or two by two with awesome people talking about all aspects of life. Having a great meal or coffee together.
Thanks Melanie for you wonderful and open contribution.
What would help you in implementing these thongs in your life? Curious to know
How could I use the time wisely?
To be less serious while I do a plan and what I plan. I’m loosing the pleasure, fun, lightness.
THanks so much for your contribution Esther.
Learning to have fun in whatever you do is so important in life. Thanks for this insight.
Would love to know how would you add that into your life?
I think I could use my time more wisely if I would be able to spend less time on actions other people set me up to do (customers, family, partners, etc), mostly ad hoc, and being able to focus more on the actions with the most impact…
Prioritising is something hard as it is, even without those distractions. I welcome any suggestions 😉
Thanks Angela for this great contribution.
Your question is a fantastic one… However, I’m sure you could come up with the BEST solutions for YOU than any other person.
Just take 10 minutes and sit down and write down how to avoid those distractions or eliminate them
Would love to hear what you came up with…
I am a bad planner. I make plans and then somebody comes around or asks me shall we do this or that and I go do just the opposite of what I was planning to do.
And too much cellphone activity
Thanks Lydia for honest comment.
Just one tip, if I may… it’s not that you are a “bad planner”… it’s that you don’t stick to your plan!
What you need to improve is commitment to your plan and being more strict on your plan…
Maybe I learned from you to invest (not spend, waste or worst: kill) my time.
For me it’s about setting priorities! That said, I like to follow my intuition/feeling what to do each moment.
Being a versatile Gemini, I need to diversify my actions to give all my talents time and energy.
Thanks for this great topic, please build on this one!
The most impact today is to finish the test for the first year students
Unpack the school camera and figure out how to work with it the musical projects at school
Listen to/watch the first conducting of Karina Cannalakis for the Radio Philharmonic (and by typing it I looked it up again and am ready to enjoy)
Thanks so much for this valuable contribution Auk. As always insightful.
I use the Eisenhower quadrant: each task is either important or not and is either urgent or not.
Not important and urgent I can delegate to coworkers, important and not urgent I put on a list, important and urgent get my focused attention. Leaving a lot of time for funny stuff.
PS. Who’s telling me what is important or urgent? Is it my ego that is deciding?
Thanks for this valuable contribution Peter. I’ve been using this system for many years.
The way to check if something is important or urgent is to check what would be the prices that would be if you DO NOT take care of it and how fast would it take place. This has nothing to do with ego, but simple consequences…
Would love to hear more what would be Fun stuff…
Hi Vered, tnx. When the “price” is not equal to money I totally agree.
Fun stuff = social contacts, food/drinks, excercise, study, sleep (in the end also necessary stuff I recon)….
Don`t fight but accept that you are not 100% of the time in action.
You need to relax and to do things you haven`t planned before.
when you take this as normal ,than you planned time for it in your next day program.
Doing nothing time just to be more active after that
stop wasting my time and being unproductive
Thanks for your input Elvin.
Would love to hear on what are wasting time?
1) be focused
2) train my dancing steps
3) take some time to enjoy life : have a walk, read a book
Thanks for your input Carine.
Would love to hear on what should you focus on?
1. What MUST you do to create the most impact today?
Contact experts for a 7-day summit I will be organizing in a few weeks.
2. What SHOULD you do today to create a better future?
Prepare a call with a manager of a company that employs dedicated VA’s to help me with the technical tasks I’m having trouble letting go of (trust issue)
3. What do you WANT to do so you will have an awesome day?
Be emotionally 100% present for my kids and wife
On a side note, I noticed that knowing what not to invest my time in, makes a huge difference. Even though I don’t put a lot of time in these distracting activities, it keeps me from gaining more focus and momentum in various areas of my life. This is where the breakthrough is for me right now. I heard someone say that wisdom is knowing what not to give your attention to…
Thanks Bart for your honest and wonderful contribution.
I totally agree with your “side note”, which is knowing on what NOT to invest time on is a crucial element of using time better.
Curious to hear from you your tips on what NOT to invest time?
For the most impact today: be fully present during the sessions with my clients.
For a better future: go through my notes of last weekend’s continuing education so I have everything available for my clients and their well-being.
For an awesome day: write my professor (he is sick and there will be a notebook compiled for him with memorabilia for his 75th birthday) a funny, thoughtful letter and send it and pictures from those old days.
What a nice way to plan my day! Thanks.
Thanks Cora for this valuable input. I agree that being present is probably the best way of creating impact in any relationship.
Would love to hear if you have tips on how to improve the ability of being present?
Anything that brings us more into our bodies improves that ability. And that can be different things.
It can be a walk through nature – or actually anywhere – but with paying attention to our surroundings, feeling, how the floor feels underneath our feet, sensing the air around our body.
Or sports of any kind that make us sweat, feel our working muscles; dancing, eating a really good meal and savoring the flavors……
Whatever it is, the idea is to bring the attention to our body – and since energy flows where attention goes, the body will then be more energetic and more present.
In our societies, most of us are running around as heads – with the body a mere attachment that we expect to function – more like a car than a body, really.
I call that the cephalopods – “walking heads”.
The idea is to bring the head together with the body again, and that works by bringing attention to the body, feeling the body, agreeing to be a “being” again. Beings are definitely present. 🙂
LOVE your important contribution Cora. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Would love to read what is your preferable of doing it?
Goodmorning to you all!
1. What MUST you do to create the most impact today?
I have (and want) to care of myself. Today I am going to the physiotherapist to have an old injury treated. This will ultimately allow for physical freedom and relaxation, and it supports my ability to make an impact.
Second, today I’m having a coaching conversation with a millennial. So far, he has shown a good development leap after every conversation.
Third, I prepare a small survey for a project I am participating in.
2. What SHOULD you do today to create a better future?
I further immerse myself in the art of investing. I will also schedule the first appointment to start my new network for women.
3. What do you WANT to do so you will have an awesome day?
I continue to write my (management) book. And enjoy the snow!
Thanks so much Manny for this valuable and honest input Manny.
Enjoy the snow and would love to hear how it goes with your women network
Oh …. I bought an online subscription last week to learn to play the piano. Really cool. I create time to play.
Yesterday my screen time was 2.5 hours just on this app. ?.
If you have an alternative that is more fun than getting lost on social media or other distractions, this me-time will automatically arise
So my tip ….. come up with a new addiction that makes you really happy, learn something new and grow!
Hi Sabine, Thanks for your input.
Social media could be a waste of time, but if you are able to learn through it, like learning to play the piano, then you start investing in yourself…
Great tip!
What MUST you do to create the most impact today?
Send out the invoices from last month Today!
What SHOULD you do today to create a better future?
Depart from all the stuff I am collecting for so many years.
What do you WANT to do so you will have an awesome day?
Take the dog for a walk in the snow.
Thank you Han for this fantastic input…
Enjoy your walk in the snow. Curious to know what would you get rid of today from… it’s always the first step that is the hardest to do… start with oner thing… let us know how it went…
The day was different, I will try it again Today 🙂
Hey Han… long time no see…. hug!
A valuable lesson I already learned from you in ‘Women do business differently’ Vered.
I’ve just started to invest my time in writing my new book with my co-author Jane about the subject of the real worth of non Western women.
I could use my time more wisely, by not going on my Mobil (Cellphone).
I wish you a blessed day. Boker tov
What MUST you do to create the most impact today?
Be a 100% present NOW.
What SHOULD you do today to create a better future?
Share and invest.
What do you WANT to do so you will have an awesome day?
Smile more.
Thanks Eduard for your valuable input.
LOVED your suggestions on what you SHOULD do today and would love to know what would you share about?
Hi Vered,
Thanks for your comment. I would to share with all that even in these special times, we all have so much to be grateful for, we just have to see and acknowledge it.
So true Eduard!!!!
I wish more people would start realising this… Thank you for putting it so plain and simple that more people could be inspired from it…
My time is spent more wisely when I take the time to do my yoga exercises after getting up, take in my vitamins before breakfast en really follow my set tasks for the day without distraction. ?
Hi Alexandra,
We had to translate your comment into English as this is an International group and some people do not understand Dutch but could benefit from what you wrote. Next time, please post in English. If you’re uncertain with your English you can always use Google Translate.
For the most impact: finish and send reports (done)
For a better future: do prosperity exercise (still do)
For a super day: take a walk in the snow (done)
================================================
Voor meeste impact: verslagen afmaken en opsturen (gedaan)
Voor betere toekomst: prosperity oefening doen (nog doen)
Voor een superdag: wandeling in de sneeuw maken (gedaan)
I must refresh my contact with the universe, it is different in the sleeping state than in the waking state. That is the most important thing for the day.
I should do my work that day, not bothering too much about the future.
I want to do all things with good intentions, then I most likely have a great day.
Great input and insight Jantine. Thanks so much for it.
Would love to hear what do you mean by refreshing your contact with the Universe and how do you go about doing it?
I have a priority list and do first what needs to be done, than make time for myself to be outside and I make time free for self employment.
Thanks for your input Hanny.
Would love to hear what are your priorities and how do you spend time on yourself?
I don’t ask myself the three questions you mentioned in the blog post EVERY day.
I am more focused on a weekly task list that is part of a longer planning, and gets input from outside sources on a daily basis.
To create impact I plan actions such as social media posts, website posts and direct emailing.
To create a better future it is more in the micro-habits for me in trying to live as ‘green’ and sustainable as possible and fitting with my life style.
I have actually put the question of my business’s future on hold for the moment, focusing only on the things I can do and not on the things I cannot do due to corona measures.
To have an awesome day everyday I plan dinners and walks with a friend, I dance and plan time to read, both for my research & business as well as for my relaxation. So I am trying to be much more in the here and now, then worrying and planning about the future.
Thanks for your great contribution Martine.
It’s a very good mindset to have of focusing more on the HERE & NOW. Having said that, it doesn’t mean neglecting your vision and your dreams.
Curious to know what are your dreams and goals and how do you go about taking actions towards them?
I MUST do a lot of things but I am learning not to do them in a compulsive way.
I start asking myself the question: what do I WANT to do for myself?
Then most of the time the outcome is another one!
Great way to focus on what is important Simone. Thanks for this valuable contribution.
I MUST connect with myself to create the most impact today and express myself, connection from my inner source to express and multiply my input to the world.
I SHOULD work on the training I’m building to create a better future for myself and the people in the world that resonate with this energy. I should plan precisely so I get a satified feeling from having tasks completed.
I WANT to play in the snow and enjoy outside in the hours between writing and working to have an awesome day.
Thanks Elke for your honest and valuable input.
Would love to hear from you in what ways would connect with yourself?
I have a daily ritual that I haven’t changed since completing trainings at Open Circles Academy.
I have my days planned in several blocks of 1 to 3 hours. I start by checking and answering email and social media, than I either start studying my scores (I’m a musician, remember?) , or read several chapters in businesses books/ magazines.
In the afternoon I teach my music students and at night I leave for rehearsal, although now it’s all done at home online. Besides that I recently started a new business by tutoring high school students catching up on either English, German and French. This is still in startup mode and needs a lot of developing. But I will get there,
That’s it in a nutshell. Of course there are variables, but this daily routine works for me like a charm. In the old days I didn’t plan anything. I would check my agenda and if there was nothing there I would simply do nothing. Things have changed a lot for the better thank goodness. Needless to say that now almost everyday is a great day and that my future looks a whole lot brighter.
That’s sound FANTASTIC Rob!!
Your system of planning the day in blocks is one of the most effective and efficient ones. I love doing it too, especially now when I’m spending most of my days writing. It’s a great system
Thank you for sharing it with us.
Rob, love your method. I use it too but lately, my days never turn out the way I planned it. What do you do if that happens?
Hi Gerdy,
Thanks for your reply. Of course there are days that don’t go as planned. Don’t worry about that. That happens to everyone. However if occurs regularly; check your schedule. Is it stil up to date? Is it too tight or too loose? Which tasks take the most time and which the least? If you know what needs to be improved: do this immediately and implement it.
I keep reading the following books over and over again. Perhaps you know them:
1. Napoleon Hill: Think and grow rich
2. Brian Tracy: Time Management
3. Brian Tracy: Eat that frog! (my favourite!)
And this video by Bob Proctor is also one of my favourites too keep me sharp: https://youtu.be/UkBFdJBLTj8
This is how it works for me. Perhaps it will work for you as well. Good luck!
I got distracted because I was watching the video. THANK YOU. It confronted me that I am often thinking of what I do NOT want to happen instead of what I do want to happen. WIll make a difference. Probably not in getting more things done, but at least in enjoying my day more!
Maybe by planning my day the evening ahead. It will give more structure and less ad-hoc actions.
Great input Dirk-Jan. Would love to hear more of your ideas of how to be more focused on what is important in life.
And I would like to figure out how to have fun in the things I have to do because that makes life easier funnier and spend my time useful and relaxed. With love japke
Less social media and screen.
Creating a structure which is in times of corona harder.
Doing my exercises Do-in and meditation. And last but not least do one or more things that gives fun ❤️
Like what, Japke?
What MUST you do to create the most impact today?
Finish my book (and I did that this morning:)) and create an awesome mastermind experience
What SHOULD you do today to create a better future?
Eat 2 healthy meals (and nothing else)
What do you WANT to do so you will have an awesome day?
Make a snow angel, butt naked! 🙂
‘Must I do this now’ check
MUST I do this now?
Must Í do this now?
Must I DO this now?
Must I do THIS now?
Must I do this NOW?
I really would like a coaching from Vered because I am wrestling with my ‘new vision’ on being ‘successful ‘ ( impactful) and the role of money.
Marihuela
Thanks for your comment Marihuela.
Would love to understand more about your routine of how to use your time better. Please expand more on what you wrote and how it can support in focusing on what is important during the day.
I realise fully that time slips away. The older one gets the more precious time starts to be.
A daily routine, with must do things, helps me to have more time for the want do things.
In the kitchen a Babook with a list of the business task for that week. Wiping the things I have done and the empty page which I create by doing that, is so relaxing and give me an old fashion school-holiday feeling.
Thanks Tine for your input.
I think your idea of having “mini-breaks” and feeling of vacation is a great one.
Would love to hear more about your daily routine
I think to realize what is important in your life. We waste a lot of time trying to change things we can’t change. It’s hard to let go, but necessary.
Thanks for your valuable input Regina. I totally agree with you that we need to start what is TRULY important for us in life and focus our time and efforts in that.
Curious to hear what is important for YOU in life, these days?