Thoughts on Yoga
How to Make More Time in Your Day
2006-11-16
Being busy is generally pleasant, but being too busy is not. In fact, feelings of pressure and overwhelm can make you sick in body and mind.
First, you must recognize that being too busy is a state of mind and not a condition of living in the world. In other words, you can live effectively and joyously in the world and never feel too busy.
On the other hand, holding on to the erroneous belief that there are too many things you need to do and not enough time to do them is the surest way to destroy your health and sap the joy from your life.
To believe that the outside world can dictate your thoughts, feelings and actions is perhaps the greatest obstacle to happiness there is. You are the gatekeeper of your own body and mind. It is your birthright to decide what you will think about and what your actions will be in any situation.
When confronted with the feeling of having too many things to do, stop what you are doing immediately! Sit down, take a breath and recognize that you are in danger of becoming overwhelmed. When you are overwhelmed, you cannot be effective.
In order to be most effective, tackle only one thing at a time with a clear mind. Pick the most important task and start. While you are working, notice how many times your mind wanders to thinking about the future or other things on your to-do list. Resolve not to let those thoughts remain in your mind as you work. Remind yourself that you are doing your best, you can only attend to one thing at a time, and other things will have to wait.
When you can truly focus on one thing at a time, you will feel calm and in control of your time. Your day will have a serene flow to it. You will have more time and more energy to be effective.
The best any of us can do is to "juggle." That means that while we are taking excellent care of one part of our lives, the other parts must wait. If you take this truth to heart you will be able to let go and feel really OK about what isn't getting done today, knowing that everything will get handled in its own time and in its own way.
Action steps:
1.) When you find yourself hurrying, slow down. Walk, drive, move, talk slowly. This restores you to a more dignified, powerful state from which to act more effectively.
2.) At the end of every day, reflect on everything that went well, every task you accomplished, every obstacle that was by somehow removed from your path.
3.) Train your mind. In addition to moderating your thoughts during the day, take some time to focus on expanding your sense of self. Meditation, yoga, and deep prayer take you beyond the mind's limiting constructs of time, struggle and lack. Regular practice bestows joyousness, inner peace and outer prosperity.