The powerful and rich have no more time than the ordinary and poor. Nobody can accumulate time. Once it is gone, it is gone for good. The only thing we can do is make better use of our time.

What are the usual things we spend our time on? Being organised and making priorities. We make lists of our daily duties at home and at work. We think ahead by completing today’s tasks and starting on tomorrow’s tasks to save time. We simplify our lives and learn to say “no” to unimportant things. Too many activities and appointments can add needless stress and loss of joy.

Time is not only calculated by the hours we spend during our day, but there are also other important issues to consider too.

Do we spend our time in relationships we are unhappy with, because we’re afraid to leave, or are we investing our time on creating a stronger bond with someone we cherish? We spend our time working at a job that pays the bills, instead of investing time in a job you love – something that will allow you to create a legacy for your family to follow.

We spend too much time gossiping with co-workers or friends and not investing time with people who have values that are like our own, or with family that appreciates it the most. We spend our time watching TV re-runs and not investing time in leisure activities which truly bring you joy.

Do we spend our time sleeping more hours than our bodies really need, or are we using that time to keep our health in check by doing daily exercises? We all tend to spend hours on the internet catching up with other peoples lives, playing internet games and hours pass without us even realising it.

We are too quick to complain about not having enough time in the day to achieve what we set out to do, but the problem is that we don’t prioritise our time properly.

The thing is……. we set our own timetables. We can make it and we can break it. Don’t let people rob you of your valuable time. Set boundaries around everything you do. Look at your relationships with your spouse, children and other people. How do you improve on those? Which ones do you end? Extended family ties, are they draining you of your time and energy?

Are you doing what you love most in life to make a living? If not, you need to re-evaluate everything from start to finish. Take your time to work out what is most important to you in the most important areas of your life.

Don’t let other people dictate what is important. It is your life, not theirs. They do not pay your bills.

Take a day or two and write down what and who are important in your life. You will soon discover that most things and most people are often not that important as your own sanity.

Once you have ascertained who is the most important, and what activities/experiences are the most important to you – try to cut out what doesn’t bring you joy and instead, replace it with the people and things that do bring you happiness. You’ll start to find that the time you have everyday is more rewarding and well-spent. You’ll actually be spending your time doing what you love, with the ones who truly matter to you.