What do you want most?
I remember a friend who told me that as a couple, she and her husband had decided to take what money they usually spent on eating out, and put that amount toward a vacation fund instead. I think that is an amazing idea! Especially since their higher goal of taking the vacation that they would plan together, made their lack of eating out actually a fun part of the anticipation, and part of the bonding of working toward something exciting together.
Time-blocking is like that.
It’s choosing to not do some things and to consistently do others. It’s giving up, what you may want in the moment, for the outcome you want later. I don’t think my friends felt badly about not “getting to” eat out whenever they wanted to, because they had chosen to forgo that little luxury for something they wanted more in the future. And further, no one made them give up anything; they chose and planned the strategy themselves, so feeling badly about it would seem silly wouldn’t it?
Is there something that you want even more than doing whatever you feel like doing on any given day? Possibly the calm that comes from consistently doing those little things that help you maintain cleanliness, order, real flexibility and peace of mind?
All those little baby steps you’re taking that nurture you and develop your abilities are working! Don’t ever give up on moving forward. You were born to succeed!
Love,
Jacque
P.S. There is a piece of this analogy that doesn’t fit and that is: when you are working on your highest priorities first, you actually end up being able to do more! Many times doing the “big rock” tasks first actually enable us to get more “in our jar” after all! So what may feel restrictive now, may in the end give more freedom- {which is the thing we fear we might lose by committing to our goals, right?} Wow!
Big rock activities might be: exercise, prayer, study, personal hygiene, journal writing, any Primary food, dates with your spouse, reading with children, daily home maintenance tasks, etc. Oftentimes, we are unintentionally giving up these very important things for 30 minutes blown on social media or internet shopping or pinning or any one of the possible la la land activities that help us escape from the confusion of being overwhelmed and not knowing where to start each day on getting our lives in order! Ah-hem. Does this bring us back to the reason for time-blocking in the first place?
Doing “first things first” leads to great rewards!
Love to you!