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People and events imploding into our time and energy...that's life!  So one of the greatest  gifts we can give ourselves is our own time.  When was the last time you had a day to yourself?  A real chance to look at what's happening and try to draw some lessons. Personal peace? Eons ago, probably.
Step 1:

Identify time spaces in your current schedule. If you drive to work and start your day cursing the traffic and everyone else on the road, park the car at home on certain days and take public transportation. You can enjoy the trip, relax or even enjoy your morning paper.  If you detest taking public transport, drive really early to work one morning. At work, you can use these early hours to enjoy your cup of coffee, meditate, think about the day ahead or just relax. Or do something you really like and have not found time to do it. Practice chess. Play Tetris. Search the net for great "How To Do Things articles!

Step 2:

Create time. If you need to drive your children to swimming or any other practice, find out if other parents in your area might be willing to share the driving with you. Then, you can free up some days when you don't have to drive the kids. And since they are not around, you can spend the time only for you. You can also organize a special mother's day or father's day for the kids when only one of you take them out, then each one of you will have time for yourself.

Step 3:

Make use of "waiting time.". Make periods of waiting time your own. Instead of fretting that you have to drive everybody around, look at the area where you wait. There may be a park where you can sit and read, a gym where you can do your own fitness program, a library or bookstore where you can browse, an Internet café where you can bring your laptop and surf, great boutiques that offer window shopping or an al fresco coffee shop where you can hang out and just people watch. Your Mom is NOT watching. It's all right to just sit!!!

Step 4:

Use your support network. You have family and friends who are just waiting to be asked and will probably enjoy keeping an eye on the kids, take them out, pick them up from school, or cook a meal for you.

Step 5:

Hire help. Time for yourself is not just of value for you.  You definitely are a better person when you spend some time to give yourself attention. Self-attention deficit is also a disorder and a terminally  grumpy mate is not a joy.

Step 6:

Get organized. Look at your daily schedule. How can you package events so they can be done together? How can you make each trip a multi-task opportunity? You can free up hours every week if you do this well.

Step 7:

Pencil yourself first in your schedule. Yes, from now on, take care of yourself first or you will not be happy taking care of others. Make that a date you don't forgo each time your schedule gets heavy. That is the last you take out. That is how important you are.

As you keep giving yourself time, you learn to value who you are. And when you start to value yourself, you also become valuable to others.

Comments

This is really nice. Too often we put others first, and that's not bad. But there are times, when we do need to put ourselves first in order to give our best to others. There are a few times I find myself just sitting and reading a good book and I tell myself "This is the life!" Such simple pleasures give me a quiet joy! Ultimately, it's one's attitude to a hectic life that makes the difference ... like you said ... in the midst of chaos, find that quiet parkbench, enjoy the scenery ... while waiting.

By Enid Sevilla 35 weeks 2 days

    God with a sense of socialism has gifted 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week to each individual at his disposal. Why most of the individuals are so stressed up that 24 hrs are always LESS for them? Learning how to Put First Things First can be a real challenge for many people. You have addressed this problem so nicely with lot of tips.

    MUTHUSAMY R's picture
    By MUTHUSAMY R 34 weeks 3 days

      Good advice.
      I normally make use of waiting time at queues, at Railway station etc to read a book that I carry.
      By the way, thanks for the several comments you have posted on my Discussion board posts and also on article about how to write freelance!
      CVR

      C.V. Rajan's picture
      By C.V. Rajan 34 weeks 3 days