Greetings and Salutations -

I apologize for being quiet - I'm still battling this flu / pneumonia thing and have been sleeping quite a lot. When awake my brain has been foggy meaning I've stuck to simple tasks like making social networking pictures :). I'm starting to feel better, so I should start catching up soon.

One of the topics we covered at the Gathering was Time Management, and the holidays are definitely a season we can use that!

I made up some visual aids, so you can see what I'm talking about here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/795549

First, track your time usage for a day or two. Don't judge, don't comment, just track. The first step of fixing anything is to know what its current state is. Where is your time going? Do you realize how much time you spend on some things?

Second, categorize those things you found. I posted a grid to help with that. Here's the key. You want your life to be as fluid as possible, because "things" always happen. It's what life does. At the same time, you want the tasks you do to be ones that are meaningful to you.

So often we get caught up in what others want or what we think society demands or so on. In the end, all that matters is what fits with *your* priorities. If you have a laundry pile, and your long-lost niece is only visiting for the weekend, be thrilled to spend time with your niece. You can always do the laundry later. Release those expectations of parents or relatives or neighbors, and do what works for you.

The aim here isn't to cram every second full of something. If serenity is a priority for you, then an hour of sipping tea and watching the birds at the feeder is perfect! That matches your priority. It nurtures your health and calm mind.

The aim is to make sure your precious 24 hours is spent the way *you* want them to be spent.

Post in the thread with your current status and challenges, and we will provide practical advice!

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/795549

Sincerely,


Lisa Shea, owner
BellaOnline.com

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