Ways to Make Time for What’s Important to You

Here are some tips to help.

Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash

Are you doing the things you want to do? Not the things you have to do — we all have those — but are you spending your extra or spare time doing activities that fulfill you or make you happy?

Many of us live on repeat: we get up, go to work, take our children to activities, come home, eat dinner, watch some TV, and go to bed. When we do have time for other things, they are sometimes spent on obligations rather than what we wish to do.

Try these tips to find time for what’s important to you:

1. Create a to-do list each day.

Each evening, spend a few minutes creating your list for the next day — and keep it short. Your top three tasks are all that should be on your list. Having too many things on your list will cause overwhelm and a lack of focus.

2. List your primary objective for the next year.

If you’re unclear about what you want to accomplish, you won’t be able to figure out how to make it happen. You might want to get a job promotion, learn an instrument, or volunteer more. Knowing your objective will keep you from spending time on other tasks that do not move you toward your goal.