Recovered Time

December 18, 2007

Elephant Burgers

One common concern of people who are looking to make exciting changes in their lives is finding the time to make it happen. One of the best ideas I’ve heard for having enough time is to “recover” it.

Recovering time requires a mindset. Most of us see our schedule like this: morning rush, work, quick lunch, more work, get-home-and-get-kids-and-get-dinner, collapse on the sofa. Instead, start looking for those windows where things slow down, you’re waiting for other people, or you have a break. You can occasionally find ten or fifteen minutes in one segment, and you might actually find half an hour or more once in a while.

Here are some useful and energizing ways to use those little chunks of recovered time:

· Start a To-Do list of things you can do with a few minutes of recovered time.

· Make 1 phone call. Depending on the length of the conversation or if you just leave a message, you might be able to make 3 or 4!

· Work with a mind-map for developing ideas. Learn how here.

· Write a page or a scene in your novel or short story.

· Write an outline or rough draft of an article.

· Research a topic, a business, a person, or a training program on the internet.

· Send e-mail to a mentor or potential mentor to get information, guidance, and support.

· Occasionally, use the time to do something specific and focused for relaxation so you have energy throughout the day.

· Sketch.

· Compose music.

· Work on your product design.

· Listen to an audio program on a CD or an MP3 player while driving.

· Listen to an audio program on an MP3 player or on your computer while doing routine tasks.

· Read an article on a topic related to the area you intend to change in your life.

· Add to your list of factors in your “dream life” to help you choose work and hobbies that bring enjoyment and fulfillment.

· Pull out your day planner and schedule half-hour to one-hour blocks each day to read, both for enjoyment and for training, growth, and development.

· Write a Blog-Zine entry! Okay, I threw this one in because my goal was to take just 15 minutes for this one since a lot of my articles are over a page long. Mission accomplished!

Category Posted in Elephant Burgers, Zine 3: December 2007, Zines in 2007