Time is one of our most valuable assets, and yet, most of the time, we speak of it as if we are powerless. We’re short on it, out of it, time-crunched, don’t have any of it, or unhappy about where our time goes. Women speak about how busy they are, almost as if it’s a badge of courage. Words like stress and overwhelm are everywhere, and we are a nation of sleep-deprived adults who feel overloaded by email and texts and a constant stream of outside demands.
It’s no wonder that things like stress eating, comfort eating, and mindless eating are such a problem for so many smart (and busy) people.
Sometimes a change of perspective can make a world of difference. Here are 15 inspirational quotes to help you rethink and change the way you think about time and being busy.
“I recommend you take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves.” – Earl of Chesterfield
Looking too far ahead can feel overwhelming and can cause you to miss the present. Focus on the now, choose how you spend this moment and you’ll be more effective.
“To do two things at once is to do neither.” – Publilius Syrus
Multitasking is a path to burnout – and to overeating and mindless eating.
“You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it.” – Charles Buxton
One of the most empowering choices you can make is to own your time. How you spend each moment, is a choice.
“A plan is what, a schedule is when. It takes both a plan and a schedule to get things done.” – Peter Turla
Smart, busy women lose big when they don’t put themselves or their needs in their schedules. Does your me-time and time for self-care show up in your calendar? Are you overeating to fill in the gaps?
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” – Peter F. Drucker
Are you caught in a web of endless to-dos? Your time and energy are two of your most valuable possessions, and sometimes the most effective thing we can do is to stop doing something.
“If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” – Will Rogers
If it’s not working, pushing harder is not the answer.
“Take a rest. A field that has rested yields a beautiful crop.” – Ovid
Honor the space between things. Use downtime to rejuvenate. Stop the busy work and give yourself nourishing time to simply be.
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mohandas K. Gandhi
How present were you for the last fifteen minutes of your life? Are you here, or are you worrying about the past or racing to finish yet another task?
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“If you win the rat race, you’re still a rat.” – Lily Tomlin
Do you ask yourself what you want to do or what you have to do? There’s a big difference.
“Focused action beats brilliance.” – Mark Sanborn
Where is your action focused? Does it line up with your priorities?
“Begin with the end in mind.” – Steven Covey
Taking the time to prepare is something that gets overlooked when we get stressed or overwhelmed. It can lead to vicious cycles, a lack of results, wasted effort, and stress eating.
“Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they started.” – David Allen
One of the side effects of constant multitasking and “busyness” can be a lack of follow-through and completion. Loose ends and unfinished business wears us out, and lead to overwhelm, procrastination, and poor results.
“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau
Does your day unfold from your priorities or are you chasing a to-do list?
“You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” – Alvin Toffler
One of the most productive things you can put in your schedule is a time to plan.
“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
Our lives are the collection of our small daily choices. They are the reflection of how we invest our love, our health, and our time and energy. Small moments and tiny intentional acts done consistently create results that may astound you.
