Think back to times or days where you feel like your time was well spent. What did you do?

We all know that time is valuable commodity and a non-renewable resource that we possess. How often are you able to say that you’ve spent your time well? If it is not as much as you like, then you should look at where and how you are spending your time.

I know that life throws us all kinds of curveballs and unexpected events and issues that “waste our time”. I know I’ve experienced the feeling of frustration and disappointment when the time I am spending hasn’t gone as I had planned. When I really think about it, this doesn’t happen as often as it used to. The reason for this change is because I am being more deliberate with my time. I’m working to be more present in my work, my family and with myself. This has helped me a lot in making my time well spent. That is because I am living in the moment and not getting lost in the moment.

I’ve often felt guilt for being a full-time working mom. The months after returning to work after each of my daughters were born were a roller coaster ride of feelings. I had highs of managing my time well and feeling like I was giving enough to my family and my career to the lows of feeling like I was shortchanging one of them. This roller coaster has leveled out over the years, especially since I have been focused on making my time well spent.

This is what being present is all about. Realizing that little things and spending your time as it works best for you and your family. Even stay-at-home moms have big jobs to manage that can make them feel they aren’t spending enough time with their families.

Sometimes, it takes having a break from our usual routine to truly know what it feels like to be present. There are too many distractions and too many things on our to do lists that keep us from living in the moment. A few weeks ago, I had the luxury of spending six uninterrupted hours with my kids outside. We had the best time. We had a picnic lunch outside, they created toys from sticks, they caught lizards, we looked up at the shape of the clouds and we simply enjoyed being together. This change in my day-to-day routine rejuvenated me and gave me great focused time with my girls. One funny moment (in the photo above) was my sweet Alex asking if she could give me a back scratch with a branch she found.

I challenge you to really think of the times in your life where you felt like your time was well spent. It does take a little effort to make time for the things that are important to you and it is critical that you are present in these moments. But, remember that the amount of time spent in those areas is completely up to you. Do what works best for you and know that it will change over time.

Time well spent: what is it for you and how do you spend it?