Why can’t I find the time to do this?
A very common question that pops into our minds every now and then. We always want to do something for ourselves and only for ourselves, but the obligations and rules of our society keep getting in the way. For some, this could be simply taking a walk in nature on a weekend morning. For others, this could be signing up for a midweek guitar or drum class. For some others, this could be starting with their side hustle, a passion that they would want to explore. Deep inside, we want to constantly improve our lives and be the best version of ourselves, yet many people live their lives pretty much the same way for a very long time. We live a stereotypical life, where everything around us dictates pretty much what we should do and how we should behave. We seek permission in everything we do. We seek validation. We seek buy-in. I was a part of this myself. Growing up in a family of Engineers and Doctors, these were pretty much the only 4 professions I ever knew of. And, I became an engineer. For 17 years, I continued to work in an environment where I had to work and not because I wanted to. I continued to struggle in most areas of my life — be it in my career, or be it health, or be it family and relationships. I was stuck in a rut asking myself “Why can’t I find the time to do this?” I was so miserable that I couldn’t even find quality family time.
What Must I Do Now To Be Able To Find Time To Do This?
We all have 168 hours in a week, each one of us. Let’s take away 12 hours per workday or 60 hours per workweek from this. Balance is 108 hours. Now, let’s factor in 8 hours of sleep each night, that could be elusive to most of us, but let’s stick with that. Balance is (108–56) = 52 hours. Next, let’s factor in our family time. For most of us, this includes watching TV, reading the newspaper, scrolling mindlessly on Facebook while our kids are finishing their homework or binge-watching on Amazon Prime or Netflix. Let’s give that 5 hours per day. Balance now is (52–35) = 17 hours. 17 hours roughly translates to 2 ½ hours per day. We have 2 ½ hours each day, and we don’t know where they go!!! Imagine every night you put 100 bucks in your wallet, and the next morning when you open it, about 11 bucks are missing and you don’t know where that money has gone. When I had this realization, it was a game-changer. When you do this time audit for yourself, you suddenly realize that you do have the time to do whatever it is that you want to do.
Today, I am a certified leap ahead and human potential coach, author of 2 books, a certified EFT practitioner, and a TEDx speaker. All of this happened just over a matter of 2 years. If you listen carefully, you will hear a small voice that whispers in the quieter moments of your life. Listen to it and see what it has to tell you. Most likely it will ask you to go against the conventional wisdom of the world. But, if you decide to obey and follow it, your life will be worth your while. It pays to obey your gut if you have the grit to finish what you start.
You Will Never Be Ready! So Stop Waiting and Just Start!!
As André Gile, the French Author said, “A man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Our brains will always convince us into believing that we are never ready. So we often believe that we are not prepared for them and that it is not the right moment. We believe that we are not young enough, good enough, smart enough, knowledgeable enough, etc. to do the things that we always want to do. By being in inaction, we keep feeding our insecurities. There is nothing worse than regretting the opportunities you didn’t seize. Now that you know you have 2 ½ hours each day, or 17 hours each week, don’t let it go to waste. Jump on and don’t look back. Start saying “Yes” to Yourself! #ReinventYourself this new year.
