Leadership Magazines Leadership Magazine Issue 11 | Page 50

GET INSPIRED Your Relationship with Time By Amanda Hopkins BY AMANDA HOPKINS BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF THE TIME AND THE RESOURCES WE HAVE DEMANDS THAT WE STOP BLAMING TIME AND START RECONSIDERING HOW WE PRIORITIZE OUR HOURS. TIME DOESN’T CHOOSE WHAT FILLS UP YOUR DAY—YOU DO. A s a “mom-preneur,” I feel like time management is one of my largest struggles. A few months ago, I took an online course called “The Balancing Act,” and I was challenged to reconsider my relationship with time. Instead of managing our time, we can build a relationship with it. What if we regard time as a person and recognize the type of feelings we project on it? I don’t want to manage my daughter; I want to build a healthy relationship with her. What a miserable relationship we would have if all I ever told her was that she was the reason I was so stressed out and never got enough done during the day. All day long we blame time for our inability to get things done. Many of us have boasted: “I’m so busy! I don’t have time for that!” We need to learn to respect time and see it as a resource instead of the reason we didn’t get enough sleep, get the house cleaned, or get our personal development done that day. We are capable of changing how we view time, and that shift can empower us to actually get more done in our day and feel more successful. Every single one of us has the same number of hours in our day, but we each have different passions, callings, and responsibilities. Being good stewards of the time and the resources we have demands that we stop blaming time and start reconsidering how we prioritize our hours. Time doesn’t choose what fills up your day—you do. I challenge you, as I challenge myself every day, to evaluate your priorities and core values and make some time-related changes. When we do, we won’t have to complain about not having any time. It is not easy to change our perception of time, but our families, our businesses, our health, and our relationships will reap abundant blessings when we choose to do so. Let’s stop allowing