The Only New Year’s Resolution You’ll Ever Need

What if there was just one New Year’s resolution—that if you kept it—could change your life forever?

What if consistently working on this one resolution could help you move mountains, get tons more accomplished, and become wildly successful?

What if applying this one resolution every day would allow you to live your life more purposefully, joyfully, and peacefully?

What if incorporating this one resolution into your life could help you achieve your goals and realize your dreams?

And, what if by practicing this one resolution daily you’d never have to make another New Year’s resolution—ever again?

What is this resolution?

Drum roll, please . . .

Developing a healthy relationship with time.

Could it really be that simple?

Yes.

But first, let's define the word time.

Simply put, time is change. Although our spirits are timeless, in our physical universe change is the evidence of the passage of time. So time is the aging of our material world. Our clocks and calendars are the timepieces we collectively use to measure this passage of time.

Time does not discriminate, it is the great equalizer. Whether you’re young or old, rich or poor, male or female, we each have twenty-four hours in a day—and the choice of how we spend them.

Time is our most precious non-renewable resource. Unfortunately, the minutes, hours, and days of our lives can’t be saved up for tomorrow. Once they are gone, they are gone forever.

Time cannot be created, found, stopped, or saved—it can only be experienced. How we choose to personally experience time is what creates our lives. So developing a healthy relationship with time can make our lives easier and our days more joyful. The following are seven ways to help you develop a healthy relationship with time.

7 Ways to Develop a Healthy Relationship with Time

1. Organize Your Time

It’s important to organize your time so that you get the most out of your days. Start each day with an intention—even if that intention is simply to relax and do nothing! Do the most important tasks at the beginning of your day when you are the most refreshed and alert, which helps ensure that they get done. Learn to choose one or two tasks to focus on each day and do them “really well,” instead of spreading yourself too thin and doing lots of things in a mediocre way.

Action Steps:

• Take 5 minutes each morning to envision how you’d like your day to play out.
• Use a daily planner to help you stay organized.
• Set out your clothes, accessories, and any necessities the night before.
• Plan meals ahead of time. You can batch-cook meal components; utilize your food processor, slow cooker, and freezer.
  
• Only respond to emails and use social media after you’ve completed your most important tasks.
  

2. Maximize Your Time

Investing your time wisely on those tasks and actions that have the greatest return can be very productive and time-saving. Also, spending less time pondering on things that in the end don’t really matter as much (such as which sweater to wear or what route to take) frees up your time for those things that truly matter.

Action Steps:

• Wake up earlier to maximize the most productive time of day—early morning.
• Set deadlines and give yourself windows of time to complete tasks and projects.
• Put items back in their place after using them instead of haphazardly setting them anywhere
• Ask for help when you need it and learn how to delegate tasks effectively.
• Spend less time seeking knowledge on the internet and more time applying it.

3. Enjoy Your Time

According to Albert Einstein, time is relative. Which means that time can appear to pass at different rates or speeds—depending on what you are doing. When you’re bored or working on an uninspiring project, time seems to drag. But when you’re in a creative state or doing something you love, time seems to flow quickly and effortlessly. The goal is to increase the amount of time you spend doing things that bring you joy, so you can pack as much purpose and meaning into your days as possible.

Action Steps:

• Do the things that matter the most to you—first and foremost.
• Allocate time in your day for fun and spontaneity.
• Make an effort to spend more time with family and friends.
• When doing chores, play your favorite music and take dance breaks.
• Make a plan to do the things you love more frequently.

4. Savor Your Time

We often rush through life so quickly that we don’t take the time to savor what’s right in front of us. Be willing to relax, slow down, and appreciate all the positive aspects of your life.Give each joyful moment your full loving attention. And instead of getting frustrated when you have to wait in line or are stuck in traffic, use that in-between time to ground yourself—and savor the moment. Think about something you're grateful for or relive a recent joyful experience—and take it all in. View waiting times as the universe’s way of telling you that you need a grounding break, and take advantage of it!

Action Steps:

• Find enjoyment in what you’re doing and never feel guilty for having fun.
• Take a moment to bask in each and every good feeling and emotion as it occurs.
• Notice when things go well and appreciate your role in it.
• When you’re with others, truly listen and give them your full, undivided attention.
• Take advantage of waiting times and in-between moments to remember who you truly are.

5. Take Your Time

We’ve been conditioned to believe that in order to feel a sense of peace and calm we must first get everything done. These days, busyness seems to be equated with status and importance. But actually, consciously taking time-out to ground yourself won’t slow you down, it will actually increase your productivity. Because doing things from a place of peace rather than chaos, aligns you with your spirit. And when you're aligned—everything becomes a little easier.

Action Steps:

• Take several moments each day to breathe deeply and anchor yourself.
• Eat slowly and mindfully; taste, savor, and enjoy your meals and snacks.
  
• Manage your stress through meditation, yoga, or another form of stress relief.
• Give your undivided attention to whatever it is you're doing in the moment.
• Take time each day to move your body as well as attend to your precious soul.

6. Respect Your Time

Time can’t be ignored, but it can be frittered away. Pay close attention to how you are living each day. Ask yourself: "Am I present? Am I mindful? Am I living in the moment?" It’s easy to forget to ask yourself these questions—but it’s so worth the effort. Also, watch how you talk about time: "I’m late. I'm so rushed. I'll never finish. I just don't have enough time." These expressions feed your subconscious mind with the idea that you have “no time.” Acknowledge the fact that how you choose to spend your time is not beyond your control. Whenever you say, "I don’t have time," what you’re really saying is, "I’m choosing to spend my moments doing something else."

Action Steps:

• Say “yes” when you mean it and “no” when it’s not beneficial to your health and well-being.
• Develop practical techniques that help you put your plans into action.
• Prioritize your tasks to keep yourself out of a time crunch at then end of the day.
• Identify your values and "why" they are important to you.
• Make choices based on your values rather than immediate gratification.

7. Appreciate Your Time

Learn to appreciate what you “have” in this moment—before time passes you by and makes you appreciate what you “had.” All that you have in this life is time. And all the time that you have belongs to you. Next time you catch yourself saying, "I don’t have time!" stop yourself, smile, and say, "Wait a minute, I have all the time in the world!" It's all about perspective.

Action Steps:

• Count your blessings and create a habit of remembering the things you're grateful for, at least once a day.
• Keep a journal so you can look back and remember how you spent your time here on this earth.
  
• Take photos and look at albums often so you can remember all the good times you've shared.
  
• Nurture your relationships with loved ones and connect with them on a regular basis—no matter what.
• Develop a healthy and loving relationship with yourself. Self-love is a powerful, healing force that no one can ever take it away from you.
  

Time passes no matter what—regardless of how we spend it. We each have 525,600 minutes to spend every single year. Whether or not we pack purpose and meaning into those minutes, hours, and days is entirely up to us. When we make clear and conscious decisions about where to focus our attention and how to spend our moments—our lives can truly begin to change.

Life is all about relationships. And like any other relationship, our relationship with time must be tended to, nurtured, and respected. We each have been blessed with a certain number of days on this earth, yet none of us knows exactly how many. So let us appreciate each and every one of them, while we are blessed enough to be here.

Time loves you. Isn't it time you loved it back?

Seasons of Love – 525,600 Minutes
from Rent