Dare to Live Fully

Life is too short, and the time goes won’t come again, we may have plans to do a lot, yet we waste a lot of time doing nothing, I am not writing this post to dwell on the negative, I am just grabbing your attention to the treasure you are having and hopefully you won’t waste it. In order to make better use of your time, you have to consider many things.

First, you need to think about the wisdom behind our life and that we are here for a reason, and you have to figure out your role in this life based on the qualities you are gifted from God.

“Life is too important to be taken seriously”

Oscar Wilde

Second, you should be grateful for all the blessings you have, being still alive reading this post is a bless, having a family is a bless, having friends even one is a blessing, being aware that you are having a lot of blessings is a blessing in itself.   

Third, be mindful and enjoy life, living in the moment is the best thing you can give to yourself, be aware of each moment, enjoy it to the maximum, enjoy being with family and friends and enjoy also being alone having your private time, enjoy the nature and enjoy being in the crowd as well, enjoy every moment because the time that passes doesn’t come back again.

Fourth, Have a plan on how you could benefit from each moment; plan your year, month, week and day, I tried both ways, live day by day and pre-plan my day, and I discovered that the accomplishment I did with a pre-planned day is way more than unplanned one, crossing the tasks that you put in your to do list one by one after finishing each one really makes you feel how good is the achievement and it motivates you to do more and more.

“A year from now you will wish you had started today” 

Karen Lamb

Fifth, Design your ideal lifestyle, and acquire new habits that help you to fulfill your body, heart and soul like getting up early, doing a daily workout, eating healthy food, taking care of your body and skin, connect with nature, be kind to people around you, keeping a journal and many other good habits that make you live your life fully.

Here are 9 strategies, and tools to get the best out of your time: 

1. Wake up early
   There is something special about the first hours of the morning, waking up at least one hour earlier than everyone in your house is a gift you are giving yourself because it’s the quietest, undistracted, and productive time. If you want to get the best out of this precious time, plan what you need to do the day before, stay away from any distractions like checking your emails, messages and social media, start your day with moving your body even if you practice 10 min workout.
2. Write a daily “To do List”
   Start your day with writing down the tasks that need to be done during the day, and preferably start with the most important tasks and then the less important, and also you need to pay attention to what needs to be done in the early morning and what could be done later in the afternoon.
3. Put a Realistic “To do List”
   Sometimes people put a very optimistic daily list which tends to be unrealistic and not equivalent to the time they have, and accordingly they get disappointed when they couldn’t finish what they were planning to do, that’s why it’s better to make it realistic in order to feel the achievement and accomplishment.
4. Set a Time Limit to Each Task
   Setting a time limit for each task and sticking firmly to it will prevent you from missing the achievement of the rest of tasks you were planning to do, so while you are planning your day, set a certain amount of time to each task and if it’s not done during this time, move to the next one and you can get back to it in any break you are having or at the end of the day.
5. Use an Online Calendar
   The good thing about the online calendar is that you can access it from any device and you can keep track of your appointments, project deadlines, so you can plan your day around these fixed appointments and will prevent you from missing any of your important appointments.
6. Focus on Completing One task at a Time
   Don’t multitask, unless it’s really necessary because focusing on completing one task then moving to another will make you feel more productive, and will get your work done quicker.
7. Say “No” Gently
   Once you have a clear vision, inspiring goals and schedule to achieve these goals, you have to say “No” gently to any distraction and not to let anyone mess up your schedule, be assertive about your “No” but be gentle in the way you are saying it.
   For example, I am afraid I can’t join you today but we can schedule this outing after I am done with my project.
8. Shut Off your Biggest Distraction 
   Shutting off your mobile or even putting it on silent mode and turning off all notifications that are not work related while doing tasks will give you the chance to focus on what you are doing and getting the best out of your time.
9. Be Prepared for Waiting Times
   Having a book and a notebook always with you, will give you the benefit of using the waiting time wisely, for example if you are spending 45 min in transportation every day, it’s better to read your preferred books during this time, or if you have to wait for your doctor appointment, reading or writing your ideas, articles, or to do list will be a good use of your time.

Your time is your treasure, value it, honor it and enjoy having it.

“Time is more valuable than money, you can get more money, but you can’t get more time.”

Jim Rohn