Dedicate Your Time
A concept I often suggest that always gets many positive responses from those who have tried it is the idea of dedicating time. It’s a wonderful way to get a task done or to make the best use of time you might otherwise waste (and regret it).
It’s all well and good to say we should do worthwhile things for ourselves–but the truth is, we often don’t do that. However, most of us are willing to do things for those we love or who we admire and respect. The concept is particularly useful for doing something we know they would want us to do–even though we might be dragging our feet.
Don’t want to get on the treadmill? Dedicate the time to your son, for whom you want to be a healthy role model. Or, to your spouse, for whom you want to stay attractive. Or, to your parents who aren’t able to exercise at all anymore. Exercise in their names and it will be easier!
What about these?
Do you dread the thought of starting that work project?
Do you wish you didn’t have to go to the meeting?
Don’t want to interact with that guy you can barely tolerate but who sits next to you at work?
Are you tempted to keep procrastinating on the work you dislike?
Don’t want to sit down and pay bills?
Don’t want to clean the house?
Don’t want to wash the car?
Don’t want to iron?
Don’t want to eat a healthy lunch because the other food on the menu looks so good?
Dedicate the time to someone who you want to have feel proud of you; someone you want to honor; someone who means so much to you that you will do for them what you might not do for yourself.
Another reason to dedicate your time to someone you care about is that it will give you a strong sense of having them right there with you at work or in the exercise room or the kitchen. I have had many pleasant hours with my mother, who passed away over a decade ago, because I often dedicate my housecleaning time to her. (She was a terrible housekeeper, so she doesn’t appreciate it all that much, but I do!)
The next time you’re stalling on accomplishing something, when you need to rush and get something done, or when you want to make the wise choice instead of the tempting choice, stop for a few seconds and dedicate the next hour or ten minutes or that project, to someone you care about. When you’re done you will feel even closer to them and you will have spent your time well.
