Can you spare 10 minutes?

"My Joyful Moments"

Is your life overwhelmingly packed with errands and things you have to do to get through the day? Are you looking for ways to slow down, take a breath, take off your shoes and find a moment to relax?

Then may I suggest resisting the urge to scratch one more thing off your list because you have an extra 5 or 10 minutes. Yes, you could fit it in! But why? You know that squeezing one more thing into your already full schedule is only going to make you run harder to get to your next appointment. And what about the urge to go use the restroom, or that parched throat that is begging for a sip of water? Lunch? “Eh, don’t have time for that. I’ll do it later…” Sound familiar?

We have packed our lives with long to do lists, heavily loaded work days and once we get home, we still have dinner to make, put things away and create a seeming order in our home world. Don’t you sometimes wish you could just ignore half the things on your list?

Well, while the length of our to-do list may stay the same, I have found a way to add a few extra breaths to my day. Or catch a few glimpses of the warm sun on my face, place my bare feet on the fresh grass and rejuvenate my spirit. And yes even have time to go to the bathroom! I call it “My Joyful moments”. I call it that because it allows me to remember to take time for myself and to also remember to enjoy every moment of my day.

It involves a little bit of cheating (yourself)… ;-) Here is how it works:

Every time I have the opportunity to add something to my calendar, I make sure to add 10 minutes to the time that I think it will take me to run that errand. So if it takes me twenty minutes to travel across town for an appointment, on my calendar I will allow for half an hour. If it takes me half an hour to get ready in the morning, I will give myself another ten minutes before my first appointment.  Can I manage to swing by and pick up the dry-cleaning on my way to the office? Yes, but I will be even more relaxed and not in a rush if I do it after work.

So I trick myself by adding more time for each errand that I really think I need.. but guess what? I had compressed my calendar so much in the first place to fit everything on it, that really, I am just allowing for regular breathing room.

In our crazy busy world this way of thinking takes a little bit of getting used to, but in time we can get better at it. Start by asking yourself if 10 more minutes would make a difference in your life. Would it help you get to places on time, take the anxiety off, help you feel more relaxed? If the answer is a resounding YES, and you are willing to make a tiny change to your schedule to feel more alive and energized then add some Joyful Moments to your day! A few minutes can make all the difference in the world. Yes you are SuperWoman/SuperMan but you are not a robot. Take the time to feel your way through the day in a positive and fulfilling kind of way.

I love this saying by Wayne Dyer because it reminds me that I am willing to change and grow: If you find yourself believing that you must always be the way you’ve always been, you’re arguing against growth.

Are you willing to add some joy into your life? Take ten!