Don’t lose sight of what really matters…

Life is so fast paced these days, we are being pulled in several different directions simultaneously, everything vying for our attention at the same time.  It’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed as we pile more and more pressure onto ourselves.  Often we have to prioritise and make tough decisions, sometimes we get these decisions wrong.  Do you ever stand there looking blankly at a ridiculously long to do list and wonder where to start?

Need more hours in the day…

How many times have you said to yourself or heard someone else say “I really need more hours in the day”?  Lots I would imagine!  I have said it myself several times.  Time management is a difficult area to master but a very worthwhile one.  When in this state of overwhelm, it’s easy to make the wrong decisions, which can lead to further problems.  The fact is we all have the same number of hours, minutes and seconds in the day but some people are more efficient with them than others.  Compartmentalising your day can really help you to get the maximum achieved.  I have been doing some personal development recently and read a fantastic book called Routine = Results by Rob Moore (you can find Rob’s book on Amazon).  Rob’s book is very helpful in showing you how to get the most out of your day and tailor it to suit you and your natural activity patterns.   ** By the way, I am not affiliated with Rob Moore in any way and don’t get any payment if you order his book, I am literally recommending it as I have read it and benefited from it and I like to share good things with you 🙂 **

Get your priorities right…

One of the strong themes running through this book is that you need to put the important things in your diary first i.e. time to spend with your partner and children as well as other family and friends, time to exercise to look after your health, holidays etc.  Then after those things are in your diary you can add in work, meetings, cleaning etc.  This can be quite difficult to do at the beginning, as you get that guilt then when you are spending time with your loved one’s you should be working and vice versa.  However, when you know that you have both planned in your diary after a while it gets easier to be present in each area of your diary and really enjoy focussing on family or work, whichever part of your day you are in at the time.

It is very easy to lose sight of what really matters.  We get snowed under with work, our boss is piling on the pressure or perhaps you are giving yourself a hard time if you are self employed.  Yes, work is very important, however, you are no good to anyone if you are ill.  Not spending enough time with your family will likely cause big problems within your relationships, which is never good.  You will turn around twice and your toddler will be a teenager and you won’t have a clue what happened in between!  Your health is critical, it really is very important to take time to keep healthy by eating well and exercising as regularly as you can.   You will be a much better partner, parent and employee or business owner when you look after your health.

Tomorrow is not promised…

I’m sure you have heard this before “make the most of today as tomorrow is not promised”.  But have you really thought about it and do you think about it often and consider what you are doing on a daily basis?  Are you doing things that make you happy?  Are you with the people that make you happy?  Are you working on your dreams?  Are you focussing on what you want to achieve?  If there is something you want to do, achieve or say, do it, achieve it and say it.  If you follow me on Facebook you will have seen I added a very sad post last week, talking about a wonderful, brave and inspiring mummy, who sadly lost her battle with brain cancer last Thursday :'(  Alex fought til the very end, she was only 40 years old and leaves behind her devoted husband and beautiful 8 year old twin girls :'(

Tell your loved ones you love them…

Please don’t waste a minute, your time is very very precious.  Tell your loved ones you love them, every day.  Be kind, a kind word goes a very long way and can really make someone’s day.  We have no idea what other people are going through, so offer a helping hand, smile as you walk past.  Text or call your friend to see how they are, you never know, but they might just need a chat.  Our children grow up so incredibly quickly, I can’t believe my youngest son will be 9 in less than 2 months!  It’s madness!  So, take those extra photos, save and go on that day out, give that extra special gift, spend some extra time with your friends and family.  Make each day count and never underestimate the value of the time you spend with your partner and little ones, even when they are pushing your buttons!

 

Celebrate your love this Valentines Day…

We seem to be hurtling through January at a great pace, already half way through, which means Valentines day will soon be upon us!  Valentines is a lovely occasion to show your partner how much you appreciate them.  Go to that extra effort and really think about a gift you can arrange for them that will make them feel very special.  You could cook his/her favourite meal at home, organise a surprise experience you know they will love or why not have a bespoke piece of silver jewellery created with your own heartfelt message hand inscribed?  You could even capture your own or your children’s unique fingerprints or hand/footprints in silver for your partner to keep and treasure forever.  If you are single, then it’s a great excuse to treat yourself to something yummy for dinner and perhaps a visit to the spa or why not give your best friend a little gift to show how much you appreciate them 🙂

Don’t leave it too late to order though, my deadline for Valentines orders is 5th February!  If you would like some help choosing the perfect gift for Valentines, birthdays or any other occasion, please get in touch and I will be happy to help.