Life is a constant balancing act.
For each new commitment you take on, you must be able to devote the time and attention that it will take to maintain it.
For many people it can become too much to deal with.
Having so many different activities going on makes it difficult to enjoy any of them.
This can leave you feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and even depressed.
Being a superhero, who can do all things, for all people is exhausting, and in the end, unfulfilling.
While multitasking mania looks good from the outside, keeping up with it can take a huge toll on your personal health and fitness.
In our culture of busyness, multitasking has become expected, but is it healthy? Studies show that it is not.
This lack of focus on the task at hand, not only reduces the quality of your effort, but even more troubling, it disengages you from experiencing the moment.
Living in the moment and experiencing the simple pleasures of life, is a kin to "stopping to smell the roses.
" That's not done much anymore, if anything, it would just be another task put on an all ready overflowing to do list.
Yet society pushes us to take on more, while we enjoy it less.
Because of technology, there are more options available, than ever.
There are no boundaries.
You now have the ability to entertain, educate or distract yourself at any time or place, with little to no physical effort.
This option-excess syndrome causes people to take on more than was ever intended.
As a result people are becoming mentally fatigued and physically sluggish.
Remember that having numerous options available, doesn't mean that it's wise to engage in them.
It becomes important to be selective in what you allow to fill your time.
You can start by setting boundaries, little guardrails that protect your time and your best interests.
Burning the candle at both ends always causes you to get burned.
What you choose matters, fireproof your choices by setting proper boundaries.
In order to set boundaries you must clearly identify your personal vision.
Your vision may change dramatically as life changes, so this needs to be an ongoing process.
The goal is to develop a distinct picture of what matters most to you.
This helps you become clear on your values and what success and happiness looks like to you.
Without that knowledge, you will not be able to create a lifestyle that helps you achieve your vision.
Now, "vision" may sound a little highbrow to some, like something a large company states to keep everyone on the same page, or something a great philosopher might have.
But in reality it is defining your driving purpose, stating what you hope to accomplish with your life.
By defining your personal vision, you can then begin to align your choices to move you closer to that vision.
This type of focus allows you to invest your time, not simply spend it.
When you invest in something, it is to get a larger return down the road, but when you spend, you only get the immediate benefit.
You invest in your future by making wise choices in how you choose to use your time.
To invest properly you must recognize what it is that you value, and what matters most to you.
Right now, think about the things that the matter most to you in this world.
You will experience contentment, when you align your behavior with those things.
Alignment with what matters most, creates a natural flow, where there's ease.
Flow is the wonderful place where there is a current that moves you along.
When you are out of alignment, there is no flow, and it's like paddling upstream.
Anxiety, confusion and discontentment are all signals that you are not aligned with what matters most to you, that you are out of the flow.
Those uncomfortable emotions develop when you try to have it all, but in reality you can never have it all, at least not all at the same time.
You will always give up something, in order to have something else.
Having a hectic and overwhelming schedule can cause a teeter-totter affect, with some days more family, some days more school, business or work, and other days you might get around to your personal needs.
It can seem like a no win situation.
Never being fully present in any one area, happens because of self-imposed guilt, about not being all that you COULD be in another area.
By trying to keep all the plates spinning, something always gets dropped.
Busyness has become an epidemic.
Learning to live in the "now" is a life skill worth developing.
Redesign your schedule by giving yourself permission to put aside some tasks so that you can fully focus on the task at hand.
Purposely choosing not to multitask, and focusing on the momentary experiences of life take practice, but it pays huge dividends.
Balance your time, align your behavior, and redesign your schedule.
You will find that focused investments in the right places, can help you get more quality out of your quantity of time.