"I don't have time, I'm too busy."   That's the mantra of so many people. We're all working harder, running kids around, and/or taking care of our own parents.   We're missing out on life because we're over scheduled. The roses are blooming but we're not even aware of it much less taking time to smell them. We have to get control our time. We need to reclaim it!

First you've got to know how you are actually spending your time. You know you're busy. You're frazzled. But where are those precious life minutes actually going?

Take a large notepad and write down in fifteen minute increments what you're doing from the time you roll out of bed until you get back into bed. That's right, document your schedule for every fifteen minutes. You want a high level of detail. Do it for both weekdays and weekends.

When you're done, sit back and take a look at it. You'll be surprised. I know I was. I understood why I felt so stressed and exhausted. I really was going a hundred miles a minute for eighteen hours a day! 

Now you have decisions to make. The reason why you do this exercise in fifteen minute increments is that even taking back that small amount of time to do something else you enjoy or to take care of your health, is both doable and meaningful.  

What are the things you want to do more of? Exercise? Spend more time with your family? Those are the two things people consistently say they want to do more.  Enjoy a hobby? Look for fifteen minutes you can put towards that activity. Look for another fifteen minutes.

Maybe you decide to spend less time on line. Less time watching television.  You might figure out how to combine some tasks or ask others for help.  You might give up some things that you're doing just because it's a long standing habit, or it's an obligation.  Maybe you can get off of that committee you're on.

Prioritize and spend time doing the things that are most important to you and that are in harmony with your own life values.

Sometimes you may have to make painful choices. When I first did this exercise, I made the decision that I would spend less time writing in the mornings before I went to work. Writing was very important to me. But I saw that I really did need to get more sleep. I wasn't willing to give up more family time in the evenings because that was even more important to me. Something had to give.  I cut back my writing by half an hour so I could sleep that much longer in the morning. It was heavenly! I felt so much better.  Half an hour made a significant difference in my quality of life. 

Do the exercise.  Then begin reclaiming your time!