#TimeManagement: How your Dream Board can help you "make time for me"

"Can't stop, won't stop... Help."

You're a lady (or a gentleman?) with a lot on your plate.

You're always doing everything for everyone else.

Yes, but...

You need some "me time".

Some time for you.

Right now, Nathan Fillion!

First, if you don't have a Dream Board, or you'd like to make a new one, here's How to Build Your First Dream Board.

Second, if you do have a Dream Board, Congratulations!

You're welcome, Beyoncé.

Here are three ways your Dream Board can help you with time management, so you can make time for yourself (instead of everyone else):





1. Make 10 minutes for yourself today.

For this first ten minutes, do nothing.

Nothing at all.

Time yourself, and allow yourself to have no responsibilities for this brief period.

Sit and enjoy the quiet.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Let your mind wander.

How did that feel?

Great!

Now we're going to schedule another ten minutes.

This will be ten minutes for you, doing something you enjoy, ideally related to your Dream Board. Select one of the images on your Board to focus on.

Let's say you have a picture of a rose bush on your Board because you want to find time for gardening. For ten minutes, you're going to write down ten different ways you can bring gardening into your life this month. It's okay if you don't fill a full list of ten. The purpose of this exercise is to focus your energy on something you enjoy, even if you don't have time to fully engage in that activity right now.


2. Make 1 hour for yourself this week.

This one requires a little more scheduling.

For some of you Dreamers, finding 1 hour to spend time by yourself is no big deal. You might be spending an hour by yourself as you read this post.

"Yes, I am."

For those of you with more commitments, one hour of Me Time may take more work to find.

To give yourself permission to schedule one uninterrupted hour by yourself this week, I will tell you a secret.

If you don't value your time, no one else will value your time either.

Meaning, you can't keep giving away your energy to other people. You need to spend time thinking about who you are and what you want. If you don't, then eventually, you'll run out of energy for yourself and for others, and no one will happy.

So look at your Dream Board, choose one of your images, and select an hour in your schedule to ruminate on this goal. Early in the morning, late at night, on a Sunday afternoon, pick a time, and go with it.

Then tell whomever in your life needs to know--parents, friends, children, employees--that you will be unavailable for that hour. The first time you do this will be the hardest... for you.

It gets easier once you realize other people can take care of themselves, at least for a while.

Now that you have your hour, what are you going to do with it?

I suggest a nap.

But if you're not tired, look at that image you selected on your Dream Board for inspiration.

Answer your What, Who, When, Where, Why, and How questions about making that goal happen.

Then, use the rest of the time to schedule your next Power Hour.


3. Do it again next week.

Make this your new habit.

You don't need to go from no Me Time to All the Me Time. Start with your 10-minute block. Then move up to 1 hour. Then, for you advanced Dreamers, 1 day.

Yes, 24 hours all to yourself.

"Really? I should spend it in that room we built for me during the final season."

Look at your Dream Board, and think of which goals you could get closer to if you took an entire 24-hour period to be alone with your thoughts.

Let your Dreams motivate you to "make time for me."

And, to get 5 FREE LifeHacks to Maximize your Free Time, click on the image below!





Dreamers, do you need some Me Time? How can you make time for yourself this week?

Share your questions and answers in the comments, or email me at iHaveADreamBoard@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading!