CREATING THE TIME THAT YOU NEED

Happy Friday! Man this week has flown. I seriously thought it was Wednesday all day yesterday. Guess what? Thinking you have another day to do things when you really don't can be a bit of a hiccup! So... my spoon full of sugar in this case was making my Thursday to do list a bit longer. Despite that extra long list I got it all done allowing me to make up for that extra day I didn't really have. Behold... a PERFECT blog topic! I always hear people moaning "I don't have the time..." and I have been told by friends that they have NO CLUE where I find the time to do all that I do... and since time does not grow on the palm trees in my back yard, I figured I may be able to shed some light on "creating time that you need."

As this year comes to a close, I am forcing myself to make some decisions and part of that decision making process has to do with my blog schedule. I have to free up some time in order to reach my goals for the upcoming year. They are big ones...  I am turning 40 in less than a month and figured since I have only lived a third of my life (I plan to live to 120) I need to start the second half with a BOOYAH! Therefore, I will continue to start your week off on Mondays and kick your buttocks into a great weekend on Friday. If that's not enough, you will simply have to follow me on Facebook and Twitter to get my daily quotes and boosts to get you over the hump. (If you already are then you just got an "A" for the semester) I have TONS in store for 2014, I could not be more excited, and look forward to sharing it with you soon!

Here are my top 6 ways to create time!

 WAKE UP 30 MINUTES EARLIER THAN YOU HAVE TO

BLAH- BLAH, I know... but in the morning, when everyone in the house is still in bed you are likely to find the most peace and quiet you'll find all day. It's a great time to check email, scroll Wastebook.. I mean Facebook. (Ha! don't let me fool ya... I LOVE that social media time killer, which is why I pencil it into my schedule every day.) You could also use that time to read an inspirational blog post, (hint hint) a daily devotional, or find something funny to start your day off in a positive way. One of my favorite things used to be waking up, making a cup of hot tea or coffee to sip while writing in my journal. It was that quiet, all about me, downtime that I needed as a single career mother of two. I would dump out the thoughts in my head so that if I forgot to empty out the "yuck" from the day before, I was doing it first thing to keep it from weighing me down. (This was way before blogging and two more children came into my life.) The point is that if you wake up a little earlier giving yourself a good 30 minutes to wind up and not be rushed, your day will be better, not to mention that taking time for yourself is never a bad thing... even if you spend it getting the laundry you have tossed three times folded and put away without interruption.

 DON'T ANSWER UNEXPECTED CALLS WHEN IT 

INTERRUPTS THE TASK AT HAND

This is hard... you hear the phone ring and although you are RIGHT in the middle of doing something that is important, you stop and answer. 30 minutes later you are still stuck on the phone in a heart wrenching therapy session with your friend whose world is falling apart, or maybe it's that insurance guy who tries to convince you that you really need the policy he has to offer. Either way, it messes up your mojo; your work flow is derailed because whatever it was you were doing has now been hacked by that phone call and you will find that it's really hard to get back on track, especially thinking about your friend's life falling apart. (hahaha my phone is ringing RIGHT now!) Ummm yeah, so now I am distracted! Okay... this is the PERFECT time to say what I was going to say already. Silence your phone when you are needing to finish a task! This does NOT mean put it on vibrate because quite frankly a phone inching it's way toward your hand is just as distracting. It also means leaving it alone until you finish!!! Let's face it, tasks take longer to complete, we drive more carelessly, and have a hard time having a normal physical conversation because we are too busy looking at our stupid cell phones. (me included) They are in my opinion, the ULTIMATE distraction when trying to get something done because they have become an appendage that we feel useless without. NOT TRUE so put it down, let them leave a voice mail and call them back! ( I promise to take my own advice.)

CLOSE YOUR WINDOWS 

I am not talking drapes and blinds here, I am talking about computer and app windows that ding every time something new happens! I have the perfect example of this. I was at a client's house a few month's ago; I was hired as a ghost writer for her book and she was supposed to be working on material for me on her computer.When I came out of my "writing room" (which was an isolated quiet place where I donned headphones playing classical piano) to ask her if she had what I needed, she expressed that she was having a really hard time focusing. As I looked down at her computer, her word processing screen was indeed open but as I heard a "ding" I quickly noticed that she literally had 5 windows open in the background: Pinterest, Craigslist, Ebay,Twitter and Facebook. She also had her phone sitting right beside her on vibrate with notifications set to "on" for social media apps. Needless to say, being the "get real" and honest type of friend and business person that I am, I laughed as I told her that having 5 windows open in the background was probably why she couldn't focus. She chuckled and said "You are probably right" as she opened her Facebook to see what that notification was for.  Unless you want something that would take 20 minutes to suck up half of your day, CLOSE THE WINDOWS PEOPLE! If I had my phone beside me, and even ONE window open in the background as I typed this blog post you wouldn't get it until Sunday.  Trust me, I have to take my own advice on this one or else I fall victim too. Shiny objects have to be GONE! Instead of keeping them as distractions, make them rewards for getting s*@# done!

FIND A QUIET PLACE & MAKE LISTS

I think many of us have issues finding time to do things when we are not zoned in and focused. Yes, I have 

A.D.D. with a side of O.C.P.D and a smidge of A.D.H.D. so I may be worse than you, but everyone works faster with a little peace and quiet. (maybe that means a quiet room with the TV on for you) Find a spot that will allow you to have focus time even if it means sitting in your closet or garage to answer emails. (been there done that) I have to have quiet time to make a grocery list, kind of crazy, but true. It will take me three times as long if I have my kids tugging at my leg, phones ringing and a television on. Pop some classical piano in? "OHM" I make that list with no effort at all! Make lists of things you need to do, find what it is that helps you focus on getting them done and also what KEEPS you from getting them done. Do this and checking them off will be a breeze! Who knows, it may even give you EXTRA time to indulge in something you love like a relaxing bath or an intense work out to get rid of those extra pounds that planted themselves onto your body. 

THERE IS A REASON IT IS CALLED THE "BOOB" TUBE

Did you know that the FIRST meaning in the Webster's Dictionary for "boob" is NOT a woman's breast? Yep... in fact the first definition for the word "boob" is... "a stupid or foolish person; a dolt". I don't judge, but I must say that when you complain about not having "time" to do the things you NEED to do, but rattle off your weekly television show schedule in two minutes flat, then welcome to definition #1! ( love ya, mean it!) Don't be the boob that watches every episode of Breaking Bad or Vampire Diaries if you have stuff to do. Don't tell me you don't have "time" to do what it takes to get your website up if you are sucked into a Walking Dead marathon. Let TEVO do it's thing and reward yourself for a job well done, AFTER it's done! 

 IF THERE IS NOT ROOM IN THE INN, THEN FLIP THE NO VACANCY SIGN

Wake-up call!!! You are not a superhero! You cannot overcommit yourself and expect good results. I did this for YEARS! I STILL have a hard time saying no sometimes. This is why now, I think of EVERY SINGLE THING I need to do as if it were an appointment in my schedule. Even taking a shower, eating lunch, stopping for gas, story time with my kids and date night. This may sound silly, but until you are able to visually look at all that you have to do in a day you will never know what you can commit to doing. Doing this will help you manage your time efficiently and prioritize which are BOTH essential for success. At the end of the day... the whole reason that we run out of time is because we managed our time wrong or simply gave ourselves too many things to do. This creates stress, anxiety and feelings of failure, all of which demotivate you and  keep you derailed and overwhelmed. Nobody wants to be there! And if you do? Get a therapist I cannot help you with that.

I hope that you try some of these things if you are finding yourself "running out of time". Now you know my secrets; although I still get derailed too, I KNOW WHY and FIX IT! That's when the FUN begins!

Have an amazing weekend and start making those lists!
(Including the Christmas one... make sure I am on it!)
Hopefully you will have SO much free time you will get bored and do things like this!

Okay... maybe this isn't your thing... but you catch my drift ;)

"When you find yourself not having enough time, 

evaluate what you are doing with the time that you have."

~SHELLEY GIARD~

XOXO

~Shells~

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Look Out! "Advice From Shells" Is Born!

Call me crazy, (I kind of look it in this picture) but I just love that so many people call on me when they are having a bad day... a tough time... when they want to complain, gripe and moan; and no, I am not being sarcastic. I like it because it gives me great blog ideas... and also because I love knowing that the reason that they call me or email me is because they know that I will have something positive to say, some words of wisdom  that will make them think about their situation differently or completely snap them out of their pity party or problem all together. Yep, I have become THAT girl... the one that so many people trust with their thoughts, hiccups and emotions; I am kind of like Dear Abby but younger and cuter. (ha!) I really enjoy being that person... like really... a WHOLE lot!

Today, I had a few of these "moments". One was with a haircolor client (and friend) that I had this morning who is having a terrible skin issue. She has been to three dermatologists and it is getting worse. She told me how excited she was to have her appointment today so she could get my advice. I was flattered. I am such a complete geek when it comes to ingredients and when I say geek I mean I am one of those weirdos that can turn a bottle around and tell you what stuff is and what purpose it serves or what ailment it causes; I take it to a level where few men have gone before. Long story short (I stink at that by the way) After diagnosing her "condition" as Eczema with one quick look,  I talked through her issues, asked her some important questions and then out came this encyclopedia of knowledge that I have soaked up by reading and learning for so many years. She was amazed at all the information that I offered and had a few "aha" moments as we talked. I wrote the bullet points down for her, made her a nice healthy snack when she told me she felt her sugar dropping and sent her away with smiles and  a feeling of hope that she would soon itch no more. My face was smiling too.

I then had a trip to the pediatrician for my youngest daughter Abrielle who has had some wheezing and a little cough going on for a few days. Since I am leaving on a 10-day business trip Monday I had to make sure my little muffin would be okay. Last time this happened I was gone on business and she ended up in the hospital with mild Pneumonia. Did not want THAT to happen again. After a breathing treatment and an ear infection diagnosis, we went home with an antibiotic and an order to do breathing treatments every 4 hours until Friday. Good thing she doesn't mind the mask! No hospital this time, yay!



By the time the afternoon rolled around I was worn out but still had a ton to do so I pushed myself to get it all done, no excuses! (see how tired I look in the photo above? yeah, that sexiness was NOT compliments of Photoshop I tell ya!) I went to the store to get a few things and on the way home I called a friend whose call I had missed earlier. (My car is my office) When I asked her how she was doing she began to vent, and I instantly realized how nice it was to not be the type to join in on the "party" anymore and let others negative moods drag me down. I listened to her and then voiced my thoughts on everything. A conversation began about how she "doesn't have the time" to do things that she wants to do and as I spoke my words of wisdom she knew I was right as much as she knew how honest I would be with her when she called, which is why she called.

When she told me her job "sucked" this is what I said ...
"You know, you have SO many talents that you waste by not using them... things that make you happy, I have seen the smile that some of these things bring you when you get the chance to do them. You could start doing them as a hobby and perhaps later turn those hobbies into some extra money and who knows how it could blossom from there. No strings, no risk, and it could help you find a "happy place".

Her answer was... "I don't have the time."

My answer to that was...
"Listen, I have people ask me all of the time how I do all that I do, even YOU ask me that and my answer is always the same. I MAKE the time to do what makes me happy and puts a smile on my face. YOU of all people know that I can get stressed, which is why it is so important that I do things that make me happy all of the time. If I waited to have the time, I would NEVER have it, so I have to CREATE the time and when you do that you will find it without a problem."

I love this friend so much and want  peace and happiness for her more than she will ever know; it's something I want for a lot of people. I think that is why I do so much to enrich the lives of others. I REALLY WANT TO SAVE THE WORLD (Where's my cape?) There is more to her story and my advice to her, but I am going to save this little gem as the prototype for an idea that was born as I thought about things tonight. At first I thought "I will blog about this"... (I am sort of doing that right now) but then after getting home I said to myself..."I am onto something here, Advice From Shells... hmmmm a cyber world of advice where people can email me and I can offer advice to them and others who may be dealing with the same issue in a way that I haven't done before. I am kind of excited but have to figure out the details and get back to ya! Promise there will be an update on this! And for those of you who are shaking your head right now, NO! I am not adding to my plate I DO THIS ALREADY I am just thinking of a way to do it differently, more efficiently and more effectively. It happens, that's my brain love it or hate it...don't care either way.

Well, if there is a moral to this blog post, I would have to say there are two...

"Never say you don't have time.... that's just another way of saying you don't want  it bad enough"

  

~AND~

"Being the voice of reason is like being a best friend to many people, you have no choice but to remove your own feelings in order to help them and enrich their life... it's selfless, educational and pretty darn awesome"

Hugs to all!

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

~Shells~

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