what a day for a daydream

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40 Ways to Use Time Wisely

by Belinda Munoz

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” ~Annie Dillard

Time. It is arguably our most valuable commodity.

Unlike treasured gems, precious metals and any other prized possessions, time can’t be hoarded, collected, earned, or bought with hard work, money, dignity or our soul. It slips away whether or not we choose to pack meaning into it. Use it or lose it, so goes the saying.

Though we all know how limited our lives are in the time-space continuum, we sometimes act like we don’t know the value of time. We use words like spend, kill or waste when we speak of how we while away the finite number of hours in each day.

Time management systems abound and still, we flounder and falter at making the most of every sunrise. We plan for the future and neglect to cherish the present. We’d rather look back wistfully even though the future is full of hope.

And yet, for many of us, it seems there are not enough hours in a day. We cram all that goes with living into twenty-four hours of ticking, bargaining with Father Time, naively expecting him to budge to our willful and resolute intentions to produce more, accomplish more, be more.

We paddle in paradox, limbs flailing, trading in the quality of our lives while doggedly pursuing an idealized quality of life.

Time. Like all the treasures in the world, we can’t take it with us when we reach our final stop. Some among us may never be willing to embrace happiness in and with the time that we do have.

For the rest of us, here are ways to improve our relationship with time. (Some things may appear to be contradictory. This is a testament to the complex nature of our relationship with time.):

Live It Up:

• Live in the moment.
• Practice love-in-action.
• Resist the urge to rush.
• Single-task.
• Do things that bring joy and require little to no effort.
• Say yes when you mean it.
• Do nothing. Instead, play.

Steal it:

• Block out a chunk of time only for yourself.
• Make an appearance but don’t linger.
• Take a vacation day.
• Wake up earlier/go to bed later. (Habitual lack of sleep not recommended. Better sleep is.)
• Delegate a task to your child (i.e. put toys away, make his or her bed, etc.).
• Push back a deadline.
• Double-task (i.e. go for a hike with a friend, an activity that takes care of two—social and physical—facets of your life).

Be Fierce:

• Do only those things that matter.
• Limit (not cut out completely) dawdle time.
• End a conversation/relationship that isn’t going anywhere.
• Stop doing things that don’t bring joy or results.
• Cancel a commitment.
• Skip a task.
• Silence all distractions.
• Choose a task or a path. Don’t relent. Focus.
• Say no.

Call Up Your Inner Sage

• Take a minute to list what you’d like to accomplish while being realistic about how long each item will take to complete.
• Arrive late/leave early (aka swoop in/swoop out — not recommended for one-on-one meetings).
• Show up for things that matter.
• Keep doing things that work.
• Multi-task (laundry, dishes, Crockpot and Roomba/iRobot work well simultaneously with little drama).
• Take advantage of in-between times (i.e. sneak an important two-minute call between appointments, take a few minutes for micro-meditation moments).
• Respond/engage only when you’re ready.
• Let efficiency increase naturally (don’t force it).
• Do only those things that have an urgent deadline.
• Screen calls/scan e-mails.
• Partner with another taskmaster and take turns doing each other favors.
• Make chores fun (crank up Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive, dance around and get some exercise in).

Succumb To Its Might

• Ask for help (hire a professional or an intern or enlist a volunteer).
• Let chores slide (relax on the definition/expectation of clean).
• Let things be (wrinkles, jiggles, warts and all).
• Let go of guilt and enjoy every second.

“Whatever begins, also ends.” ~Seneca

Do you have a healthy relationship with time? What are some ways you’ve made peace with time?

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Belinda Munoz is a mother, wife and a social change activist living in San Francisco. She’s a foundation director and political advisor who maintains balance through yoga. Visit her blog about choosing positivity at thehalfwaypoint.net and follow her on Twitter @belindavmunoz. Original post here. Photo here and here.

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Sinus congestion, achy body, nagging cough—yep, you’ve got cold and flu symptoms. Before you pop open the nearest perscription pill bottle, try these ten doctor-approved natural remedies to get your bod back in working order. See a few below:

• Zinc. This essential mineral boosts the immune system and decreases viral activity. Take fifteen to thirty milligrams in lozenge form at the first sign of a tickly throat, runny nose or fatigue.
• Honey. Made from flower pollen and enzymes in bee saliva, honey has antioxidants and antiviral and antibacterial properties, making it a top cold-fighter. Add two tablespoons of honey to a cup of warn, boiled water or green tea. Add a squirt or two of lemon for a boost of vitamin C.
• Spicy foods. Garlic, turmeric, hot peppers, ginger—whatever you use—they’ve all got potent anti-inflammatories, taming irritation in your nose, throat, and upper-respiratory tracts. If you’re not up for consuming it, cut a garlic bulb in half and just breathe in the fumes. You’ll inhale antiviral particles that will provide relief.

The 6 Changes Method

So how does the 6 Changes method work?

It’s simple:

1. Pick 6 habits for 2010.
2. Pick 1 of the 6 habits to start with.
3. Commit as publicly as possible to creating this new habit in 2 months.
4. Break the habit into 8 baby steps, starting with a ridiculously easy step. Example: if you want to floss, the first step is just to get out a piece of floss at the same time each night.
5. Choose a trigger for your habit - something already in your routine that will immediately precede the habit. Examples: eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, showering, waking up, arriving at the office, leaving the office, getting home in the evening.
6. Do the 1st, really easy baby step for one week, right after the trigger. Post your progress publicly. (Read more.)
7. Each week, move on to a slightly harder step. You’ll want to progress faster, but don’t. You’re building a new habit. Repeat this until you’ve done 8 weeks.
8. You now have a new habit! Commit to Habit No. 2 and repeat the process.

I go more into this method in the free ebook - you’ll be able to download it soon.

For more on successful habit change technique, as well as ways to simplify your life and become more effective, check out my book, The Power of Less.

Sex positions can make or break a tryst and if you feel like you’ve tried every sex position in the book, I can assure you that, until you hurt yourself having sex, you have not.

Sex positions that men love, however, will not likely cause any serious injury and are pretty much positions that you may or may not have tried at some point in your sex life.

With Valentine's Day weekend coming up, this could be pertinent information :) Read on >>>