“What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now.” – Buddha
Have you ever felt as if time was working against you and that you never have enough of it for pursuing your life’s passions? Does it seem like you are constantly reacting to external things marked as ‘priorities’, rather than living the life of your dreams for yourself?
This trade-off may not be compulsory. You may actually have more time than you see. And no, making time does not entail neglecting your kids or palming off other responsibilities –it is about a shift in perspective. As someone who was in the exact same place for many years after my marriage, I want to share the three life lessons I learned in the last 15 years of working from home as a psychologist and author. These are things I learned not just about life but also about myself. The insights helped me give life to my talents. I want you too to live life more passionately.
I made this short video on how to make time for things that are important or the things that make us come alive
How to Make Time for Your Life’s Passions
Lesson #1: Dress-up, even if you will work from home. If you’re entering your professional role, look the part. This helps you log out of other tasks, roles, and responsibilities. It is a way to shift gears and think of the new enterprise you’ve been dreaming of.
Lesson #2: Have office hours during weekdays when your passion is your priority. No dusting, cleaning, cooking, social calls or social network at the time. Unless you take your work seriously, no one else will. But once you draw a line in the sand, your children, spouse, family, and friends will quickly learn to respect it.
Lesson #3: It is scary but it is worth it. There are many ways in which you will self-sabotage your efforts. Something will appear to be critical or urgent and you will be tempted to start ‘tomorrow’ while you deal with the urgent (read: familiar) task today. It is important to recognize that this is simply your instinct to avoid what is unfamiliar or not guaranteed to succeed and replace it with something you can do masterfully. Learn to recognize this drama and don’t give in to the temptation.
Living intensely is not just a bedrock of your happiness but also of your loved ones. When you choose a passionate life, you tacitly give permission to your family and children to choose similarly. What a beautiful life lesson to leave the kids with!
Now Is the Time to Do the Things That Make You Happy!