Whitney led a discussion with a select group of NationSwell Council members centered taking back your time and making time for the things you enjoy, even when life is chaotic. NationSwell supports the nation’s leading problem solvers by helping them develop and advance solutions that strengthen our communities and country. As the featured speaker for this session of NationSwell’s Communal Table, Whitney shared advice for ways to enjoy your time now and be creative, especially when your usual routines have been disrupted. 

We all have activities that we enjoy doing outside work, but these creative pursuits are often shoved aside when things get busy. Creativity is so important — whether you work in a traditionally creative role or industry or not. But, when you start to look at your calendar and block out time to get work done, it may feel like there isn’t any “free” time to be creative. Whitney recommends blocking out time for creativity, too. Start small with 2 to 4 hour blocks, depending on your schedule, and use that time for your creative endeavors. 

Create space to sit and be. Give yourself permission to work on things you like. If you don’t feel like working on anything during this time, use it to do something you enjoy! Treat this time like you do other blocks of time on your calendar — set your availability and communicate with others so that your time is protected. 

As you start learning how to become more disciplined with your time, there will be points when you need to say “no.” When we say “no,” we’re not running away from something, we’re running towards something that matters to us more. Spending time on unimportant tasks takes away from the time you could devote to the things that truly matter to you. When you’re clear on the vision you have for your life, you can say “no” more confidently, and you’ll be surprised to see how people respect your newly developed boundaries. 

When you feel like you have to do everything on your to-do list, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. To hone in on priorities, you need clarity on the life you want to live. Look at all the aspects of your life — your career, your relationships, your talents — and picture the life you’ve always dreamed of. Once you get crystal clear on what’s important, you can stop wasting time on low value tasks that don’t help you achieve the goals that matter to you most. With Whitney’s expert guidance, you can take back your time and focus on achieving the goals that move you forward on the path to becoming the person you’re destined to be. Schedule an application call with Whitney today if you’d like her help to Take Back Your Time.