***Essential Time Mastery

Essential Time Management

By Kamila Harkavy

There’s something about the end of the year: whether it’s that business slows down, looking at the year in review – what went well, what didn’t, what could be improved or different; or that people start thinking about the New Year and making a fresh start, turning over a new leaf, aligning with our most important values, focusing on personal growth and transformation with renewed vigor, adjusting one’s habits to create greater satisfaction, fulfillment, spirituality, abundance and solvency; writing out resolutions; the shorter daylight hours causing a natural inward focus, etc……

At the end of the year, I usually spend some time completing minor tasks left unfinished when more pressing matters took precedence, filing and organizing (and unfiling or purging my files as well), and clearing any piles (I’m happy to see that piles are almost a non-issue for me now whereas they used to be a MAJOR issue). Although this is something I like to do at the end of the year, it doesn’t work for me to put it on my list of things to do. Yesterday, however, I spontaneously began doing this and this morning I spontaneously continued. I purged a whole bunch of files that I no longer need and also rearranged my files for ease of use. It just feels great to have this done and I feel excited knowing that, from a feng shui perspective, I’ve made space for the new and also for more to flow in. I feel this is as valuable as some other ways to optimize your business during a slow time. Energetically, it brings your environment current: current with your vision for your life, your business, your career, current with your energy and your intention.

In the process of clearing and organizing, I came across some notes to myself on Essential Time Management. The word essential refers to the essence of who we are as well as the essence of time management, and how to take time management out of the realm of the ego and have it emanate from the soul. Time management becomes much more compelling when it emanates from the soul. Although still rife with challenges, it’s easier to align with and feel motivated from a deeper truer part of yourself – from your soul rather than your ego. Discipline, then, is an expression of your deepest truth rather than just a “should”.

Your intentionality is then merged with your actions. Applying WILL to your life means getting present, getting on track, bringing your soul into focus, getting clear highly-tuned dynamic movement. How you use your time determines whether your life is an expression and fulfillment of who you really are, what you want, and your life purpose and mission. That’s the main reason to practice essential time management. Why else: to be inspired and intentional and move toward greater satisfaction and fulfillment, to have time for contemplation, fun, being ourselves, being with those we value, and leisure, allowing and expressing your heart’s desire!

What we’ve been told about ourselves (and what we’ve continued to tell ourselves) also affects how we use our time. What do you tell yourself? What have others told you? Cease to keep this a secret. It liberates so much energy to bring this into the daylight. It has taken more energy than you realize to keep it hidden, to attempt to compensate, etc… You can use that energy in better ways! Allow it to serve your transformation instead. Truthfulness is the agent of transformation: Telling the truth about who and how we are. The lies we believe and repeat keep us from truly supporting ourselves. THIS is the core of procrastination. (Reminder: if procrastination is a major issue, please see my blog posts and book review of Neil Fiore’s The NOW Habit). Continuing to tell ourselves the truth is essential for progress. Holding the bigger picture is a discipline. Keep returning. No need to judge yourself for losing focus, it’s completely natural to do so; just renew your focus again and again. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Return to sensing what you really want and what’s important to you; reconnect with yourself, your purpose, your highest intentions. Remember and value who you really are and your purpose. True discipline will arise naturally. This is like a muscle; it’ll become stronger as you use it and challenge yourself regularly. Remember how I spontaneously found myself organizing and clearing?

As much as we may want them, we also fear having love and success because we fear having them and then losing them. Again. We don’t want to feel the pain of that loss which will remind us of the other times that we’ve experienced these losses. THIS is one of the main obstacles to true time management!

I return to these notes from time to time, learning something new or deepening my understanding each time. Since I've shifted and grown since I last read them, I'm able to see or hear some things in a different way, it's able to penetrate further, and my understanding has shifted too. I know that Essential Time Management is key to living the life of my dreams so I persevere......and keep returning.