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Things You Don’t Have Time NOT to Do

Posted on January 4, 2011

busy personHappy New Year!  I love January because with the new year comes new beginnings and renewed hope that this year will be better than the last.

I’m a big fan of setting annual goals and making new years resolutions.  I believe, if you want things to change, you’ve got to have a goal and a plan to reach that goal.  But more and more I’m hearing people say…

I’d love to ____, but I just don’t have the time.

Or

I know I should ____, but I just don’t have the time.

Out of curiosity, I tweeted both of those lines and here are some of the things people tweeted back that they are too busy to do:

  • exercise
  • play with my kids more
  • blog
  • write a book
  • sleep

Yes, we are busy.  We are probably busier than any generation before us.  But I believe to the core of my being that we are never too busy to do what we really love to do.  We are never too busy to do what will bring meaning and purpose to our lives.

For the most part we are busy doing the wrong things for the wrong reasons.  We waste time.  We get distracted.  We lack focus.  We do low value tasks just to cross them off our list.  We do dumb things that are self-defeating.

So, to kick off 2010, I’m going to do a series of blog posts titled Things You Don’t Have Time NOT to Do.

These will not be little time-saving tricks like “how to cut your grocery shopping time in half” or “37 dinners you can make in 10 minutes.”  I’m going to write about things that require some up investment of time up front, but in the long run save time in the long run a lead to a more fulfilling life doing the things you’d really love to do.

What is it for you?  What would you love to do or know you ought to do, but think you’re too busy to try?

Things You Don’t Have Time NOT to Do

  1. Dream
  2. Take Responsibility
  3. Trade Up
  4. Figure Out the God Thing
  5. Create a Personal Mission Statement
  6. Examine Your Motives
  7. Focus on Your Strengths
  8. Make a Decision
  9. Tell Your Kids Why
  10. Free Your Mind
  11. Create Checklists
  12. Choose to…
  13. Make a Place for Everything
  14. Help Others
  15. Serve With Your Kids

21 thoughts on “Things You Don’t Have Time NOT to Do”

  1. Pingback: Tweets that mention Things You Don’t Have Time NOT to Do | Live Intentionally -- Topsy.com
  2. Barbara says:
    January 4, 2011 at 5:54 pm

    I’ve been honest that my problem is not that I don’t have time, but that I struggle with organizing to use my time – at least as well as I would like. It’s all relative, and comparatively, many people see me as an organized-type.

    I look forward to reading your series. Interesting that prayer did not make the no-time-for list.

    I believe in the principle of doing the most important thing first. But prioritizing can be challenging, too.

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    1. Paul says:
      January 4, 2011 at 6:08 pm

      Thanks Barbara. I appreciate your honesty and commend you for your self-awareness. I think organizing time and tasks is the biggest challenge a lot of people have and it’s one of the things I’ll be writing about in this series.

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  3. Natasha Robinson says:
    January 4, 2011 at 10:20 pm

    You have 37 dinners that can be cooked in 10 minutes each? Post that one now. It will be your most viewed post of the year!

    I agree with you. People make time to do the things that are important to them. On the other hand, we do waste a lot of time. Prioritizing is so very important. I’m not a big NY resolution person, but definitely am a person of focus. I prioritize my weekly and daily “To Do” list. Sometimes everything doesn’t get done, but the things that I don’t have time NOT to do, are not one of them.

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    1. Paul says:
      January 5, 2011 at 10:28 am

      1) hotdogs, 2) eggs & toasted waffles… 😉

      Good for you setting weekly and daily priorities. That’s important.

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  4. Beth McKamy says:
    January 5, 2011 at 5:58 am

    Paul, I always set myself up for failure when I try to make New Year’s resolutions, so this year I saw where people were taking “one word” (whatever word means something to them), and focusing on that word, whether it is organization, commitment, risk, fun, etc. etc. You get my point! I couldn’t come up with one word and since last year was full of “light bulb” moments for me in my walk with God, I decided to pick a phrase this year, and live it out all year. The phrase I picked is two questions that Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?”, and “Who do you say that I am?”. To become more like Jesus, I have to know who Jesus was and is, and to find that out I have to search all of scripture, and ask for the Holy Spirits guidance. I totally believe that if I live these questions this year, that everything else in my life, whether it’s my struggles with weight, finances, or other things, they will fall into place. I can’t wait for your blogs. They always inspire me!

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    1. Paul says:
      January 5, 2011 at 10:31 am

      Sounds like an interesting approach. Resolutions or not, the important thing is that you’re pursuing God, stretching yourself, and not just doing the same things you’ve always done and hoping things will be different this year.

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  6. Pingback: Too Busy Not To Dream: Part One | Soul Munchies
  7. Pingback: Things You Don’t Have Time NOT to Do: 1) Dream | Live Intentionally
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About Me

Hey, thanks for reading Live Intentionally. I'm Paul Steinbrueck - husband, father of 3, CEO of OurChurch.Com. I love to learn, I love to take on new challenges, and I love to help other people become more than they ever thought possible. More about Live Intentionally.
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