If your calendar reflects your values, what would I learn about you from looking at your calendar?
How we spend our time is a powerful indicator of what is important in our lives.
We spend time with people we care about, on work that offers some value (even if it is just a paycheck), and on experiences that are exciting or interesting.
In this way, time is the currency we spend on these things. The amount of time we put toward them indicates the value we place on them.
So, if I were to look at your calendar, where would I see value being placed?
I am especially curious about the recurring time spending that occurs. The hours that are placed on the same things day after day, month after month, maybe even year after year. What patterns show up in your values when you look at these time spending habits?
We don’t have to go too in depth with organizing all of this right now, but I encourage you to consider the themes that emerge through your time spending.
How are relationships showing up in your life? Which ones are given the most value?
How does self-care show up? Are you valuing sleep, healthy eating, and exercise?
What about maintenance tasks? Are you placing value on taking care of your home, your vehicle, and your finances?
Where do your goals show up? Do you value your dreams and ambitions? Are you dedicating time to them?
Are you taking time to have fun? Time to leave things unplanned? Time to be spontaneous?
If your calendar reflects your values, what would I miss by looking at your calendar?
You might be considering my questions, but then thinking, “Well, wait. This can’t be true. I know I care about X, but I haven’t spent time on it.”
Why not?
It is okay if there are things you care about that aren’t showing up right now. We’re all human, we can only tackle so much at once.
I’m not here to scold you or make you feel guilty. I encourage you to find empowerment in this thought process – perhaps you weren’t even aware there was something this important to you that was missing airtime. Building awareness now is a phenomenal first step because it means you can do something about it!
How we spend our time, and how this misaligns with what is important in our lives is a powerful indicator of fixed mindsets, limiting beliefs, and unintentional actions.
I push these questions about what you’re not spending your time on because I want you to dig deeper and explore the space between intent and action.
What is holding you back from giving time to something you value?
And if part of your answer is, “I just don’t have time for it!” then I’ll also ask, why not?
Where is all your time going that you aren’t giving it to something you value? Where is the wiggle room to make a change?
Are you ready to make that change?
Sometimes, I think we tell ourselves we don’t have time for the things we care about because there’s fear or doubt associated with them.
I’m afraid of how it will hurt if I give this my all and it doesn’t work out.
I doubt my efforts would make any differences.
I don’t know how to take the first step, or what that first step even is.
“I don’t have time,” becomes the encompassing vocabulary for the values that are not acted on.
And again, this is okay! There will be times when we have to prioritize our energy for specific values, leaving others on standby.
I invite you to consider the values that have been left on standby for a while now. And the values that have been prioritized and given that recurring time spending.
What would it look like to make some adjustments to feel better in alignment with your values?
Have thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Want to connect more with these topics? Subscribe to my newsletter, where I also offer challenges and activities to utilize as you explore your time awareness.