10 tips to make time for what you love

One of our biggest challenges as adults is that we’re busy. Job, family, and community activities stretch us to the limits of our abilities to manage our calendars. Where can we find the time to do the things we love?

Susie Moore (@susiemoore), a life coach in New York City, states that:

“Reconnecting with our passions can be our greatest source of joy. Approach making time for them with the right attitude and you will maximize the results and enjoyment of it all. One of the greatest sayings about time is, don’t prioritize your schedule, schedule your priorities! What is more important than connecting with your authentic self?”

Here are 10 tips to make time for what you love:

1. Commit to carving out time on a regular basis so it becomes a habit.
2. Walk before you run. Start with a little at a time by setting small daily goals for yourself. This helps you see success early and often so you can build your habit.
3. Use even a few minutes of downtime in your schedule, like when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store. Or combine your passion time with other quality time, such as taking a writing class with a friend or family member.
4. Michela Aramini (@michelaaramini) suggests you reward yourself every time you complete a goal, no matter how small. This also helps you build your habit through positive reinforcement.
5. Join a group or a class of like-minded people to learn about what you love, engage in it, and talk about it with others who share your passion. Or just join Seyopa :-)
6. Write it down. Make a promise and give it to a friend, or at least say it out loud. Now you’ll feel responsible for keeping your word.
7. Just get started and don’t worry about making it perfect. In fact, perfectionism can paralyze you. Perfectionism doesn’t just stall your current project, however, it can prevent you from starting any new projects as well.
8. Stop telling yourself you’re too busy. This is a self-fulfilling, self-defeating prophecy. We’re all busy. And we all find time to do the things that are truly important to us. Consider making your passions a priority just like you do for your family, your job, and the gym.
9. Be patient with yourself. You don’t have to rush to make your passion your career. Sometimes this is a good idea, but sometimes it’s not. And you may need more experience before you can make the switch.
10. Most importantly, getting started is everything:

“I convince myself to spend ten minutes on my project. Just ten minutes. Enough time to accomplish one small task. Then, after that ten minutes is up, I can go back to” whatever I was doing.

Just get into motion, and don’t worry about the results. You can even set a 10-minute timer. Once you’re moving things tend to take care of themselves.

Bobby Umar recently gave Seyopa some tips on making time for what you love, and you can watch the video here.