It seems like everyone I meet these days is busy, busy, busy!  Everyone is too busy to do this or that and in such a rush that they are frazzled and weighted down with the obligations of their to-do list.  Raising children and taking care of families no doubt takes a toll on the 24 hours available in each day and most of us find ourselves wishing or begging rather for just a little more time to get things done. 

That being said every one of us who finds ourselves too busy to really indulge in the abundance of life should take pause and try to understand just where all that time is going.  Think about it.  In the course of a week there are 168 hours! On average we probably (hopefully) spend 50 or so sleeping, 14 hours eating and another 7 in the bathroom taking care of ourselves.  There goes 71 hours of existence.  If you work full time you give up another 50ish hours between work and your commute (if you work outside of the home.)  That leaves around 47 hours left in your week?  So what are you doing that is keeping you so busy that it consumes 47 hours of your time?

Recently I heard someone say that there were few things in life that deserved our time, energy and talent. Obviously, raising our children and being with family are two of those things that are of the utmost deservance. This comment prompted me to keep track of how and where I spend my time. By paying close attention to the details of where my time was going I was better able to honor the time I had and make better use of the hours left in my week.  I was able to partner with myself in deciding exactly what my energy and time was wroth being spent on and was awakened to the things that truly inspire me.  

There are many days as a mother that it seems difficult to accomplish anything outside of caring for the basic needs of my family.  Sometimes it will be near bed time before I realize that I haven’t taken a shower or eaten a single bite all day.  Every mom has those days or weeks when the kids are sick or school functions make it virtually impossible to get anything done.  Early on, I learned that by setting small goals that will facilitate me toward my larger goals I am less likely to feel overwhelmed and can find the time to take baby steps week in and week out despite the unpredictable needs of everyone and everything else.  I call this the power of 3!

Essentially I spend a few minutes each Sunday writing down 3 things of action that I can accomplish in a week’s time that will keep me moving toward my goals.  If one of my goals is to start feeding my family healthier meals - my action plan for the week might be to collect 12 healthy recipes and shop for and cook 2 of them the following week.  If I am planning to write an E-book then my goal for this week might be to get the outline done.  Similarly, if my goal is to run in a triathlon next year then my goal for the week might be to run 2 miles three times this week and maybe 4 times the following week.

By the power of 3, I am setting mini-goals that are easily attainable within my life and that are in line with the larger goals that I have for myself.  I take the power of 3 one step further by dividing my min task into 3 parts as well.  For instance I might want to collect 12 recipes for the week but find that I can collect 4 a day for three days without fail and without overwhelming myself.  It is similar to saving $20 a week.  Initially you don’t have much but in a years time you might have enough for that new couch you have been wanting. The bigger pictures in life are always filled with snapshots from a photo album that took a long time to cultivate.  Just like Rome wasn’t built in a day – neither can your goals be realized all at once.  Being patient with your progress and taking a proactive approach to goal achievement not only can help you succeed; but also ensures you can remain ever conscious to the things that mean the most to you and be able to handle the hectic routine of caring for your family 

Certainly it can be healthy to keep your eyes on the prize.  It keeps us motivated and working towards the achievement of the things that are most important to us.  I am extremely guilty of spending so much time in forward motion along the roadmap of my life that I forget to look back along the travels I have already made and rejoice in them.  Often time’s one goal is achieved just seconds before it becomes an even larger step to a bigger dream.  With this kind of momentum it is easy to lose sight of just how far I have come.  It is vitally important to stop and celebrate ALL of your achievements.  The small details of achievement were the stepping stones that enabled you to make it where you are today and they are absolutely the reason that you feel positively empowered and enlightened to broaden the spectrum of your successes to come.

Much of what we accomplish skirts underneath the conscious radar of our family or peers and by taking the time to bask in our own glory- we are renewing our energy tenfold.  The more we do the more we and our peers will expect us to accomplish and by reveling in your list of accomplishments you will feel no doubt about your abilities.  It may even be a good idea to keep a running list in a notebook of all the things you have done and pull it out every time you feel doubt or fatigue setting in. Never wait for someone else to notice or thank you for all that you have done not just today, but in the past year or 5 years as well.  Celebrate in any way that makes you feel proud and as more meaningful and inspiring things come your way reward your self for the incredible woman that you are!  Gratitude is the art of not just seeing your cup half full but celebrating the cup and the water source that fills it as well. Always remember that your cup of life is filled with the cool and sparkling elements of YOU!