Ron Ehrlich* says that as time is finite, we should ensure at least some of it is spent meaningfully.
We live in stressful times.
Change is occurring all around us and we are constantly bombarded mentally, physically and emotionally by the ‘latest’, the ‘greatest’, ‘new innovations’.
The only thing that is constant is change, and in order to adapt and thrive we need to build resilience.
As the world around us becomes more complex we literally carry the burden of that world in the palm of our hands, in our laps, in our workplaces and even by our beds.
Most people acknowledge that stress is affecting their health and with that their ability to fulfil their potential.
If we have one goal in life it should surely be to fulfil our potential.
Whether we are talking about our potential as an individual, a member of a family, a community or for that matter a company, enjoying good health is central to that goal.
The triple bottom line, focusing on the social, the financial and the environmental, drives many organisations.
However, a ‘quadruple bottom line’ that identifies the health of the individual is an integral part of any relationship.
The flow-on effect to communities and companies is obvious socially, financially and environmentally. They are all inseparable.
In order to solve a problem, stress and its effect on our health, we need to know what that problem is.
As the stresses we face on a daily basis seem to become more complex, the solutions for building resilience are remarkably simple.
Time and how we use it is the key to building resilience.
Let’s start by accepting that there are, and always will be, only 24 hours in the day.
While we are stating the obvious it is also worth noting that the time we are trying to create is actually more meaningful time.
That’s actually important because there are, I believe, four basic steps to gaining ‘more time in your life’.
The first step accounts for eight hours of the day — a consistently good night’s sleep is your non-negotiable built-in life-support system.
With it you build the physical, mental and emotional resilience to make the most out of the other 16 waking hours of the day.
Do an audit of what your day looks like now.
It may surprise you how much time is taken up by responding to ‘push notifications’ on email, social media and news.
Switch off all notifications.
Not only have you gained physical time, probably several hours, you have cleared your head to engage with the world that surrounds you.
Do an audit of your values…what is important in your life.
We are constantly encouraged to be good consumers and many of us literally buy into that philosophy.
I have never seen a gravestone or obituary that comments on how great someone’s obsession with work was.
Those extra hours are not always the most meaningful or productive.
There is a point of diminishing returns.
A study looking into what was the best predictor of health and longevity found that relationships were the most important factor.
Prioritise how you want to spend your waking hours, accept it and then commit to it.
If we only get one chance at life, then we should try to fulfil our potential; rather than be a good consumer, be a good citizen.
Be the best you can be, by deciding what’s truly important in your life.
Make the changes to not only create more time in your life, but also to create a more meaningful life with your time.
*Dr Ron Ehrlich delivers keynote addresses at wellness workshops and has a weekly podcast Unstress with Dr Ron Ehrlich. He can be contacted at [email protected].
The article first appeared at www.drronehrlich.com.
