When I was young, I must have thought time was infinite.
I mean – time is infinite in the grand scheme of the universe – but my ability to use the time I have available is very finite.
When I was young, I would say yes to every activity and commitment that I wanted to do (which were MANY) and try to do them all. When I was in graduate school in my late 20s, I spent the first 18 months working a full-time job and a part-time job, took six classes a year, and still occasionally had time to spend with my friends.
How in the hell did I do that?
I probably got far less sleep than I do now. I remember that too many class reading assignments were skimmed or not read at all. I’m sure none of these things were done as well as they could have been. I spent absolutely no time just by myself resting or moving my body in nurturing ways.
Good thing for me, at my graduate school, Chicago Theological Seminary, we talked quite a bit about nurturing ourselves so that we could be the best versions of the spiritual/religious leaders we were called to be. That conversation eventually prompted me to take a yoga class after graduation. I’ve never looked back, and now I’m a practitioner and teacher and have used that in developing myself and others into leaders for nearly 20 years.
Through this 17-year (and still counting) mindfulness evolution, I have a more realistic outlook on what I can and need to get done. I still have a tendency to take on too many things, but I’m also much more likely to stop, take time for rest, do some yoga and meditation, take a walk, etc.
Being the boss of your time is not about getting the most things done so that you can be successful. The measures of success are set by racist, patriarchal, capitalist standards of our culture that clearly do not serve us well. It’s about using your limited time to take care of yourself and do what matters most to you. It’s about balancing your own needs with the needs of those around you, even your family.
Struggling to say no to all the things that drain your time and energy? Time Boss retreat and coaching teaches you to push back against the belief that your value lies in the work you do. You are worthy of rest just by virtue of being YOU. Asynchronous access to the popular Time Boss online retreat paired with coaching is available for both individuals and teams, Learn more.
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