If you looked at your bank statement or wrote down how you spent most of your hours over the past month, you would quickly see what is most important to you. Years ago, I heard someone say, “Where your time, treasure and talent are shows where your heart is, as well.

Time is perhaps the most valuable resource we have. It is non-renewable. You cannot get it back. Time is the way we interact with those we love, invest in current relationships and foster new ones, too. Time is as beautiful as a sweet moment with our partner or children or as draining as too many hours at work or repeatedly doing something you dislike.

Money is important in this exercise too, because it is tied to our time. We spend money doing things we love and we spend hours working to have money to do things we love. What we value is revealed in where we spend our money. Additionally, talent and where we focus it also reveals what is important to us. Do you only use your talents for self-benefit or self-promotion? For example, if you are a talented cook do you only cook for your immediate household? Or do you invite people over and cook for them —demonstrating kindness and sharing your talent (and time and money, too)?

For now, I would like to suggest you take inventory of the way you manage your time. Are you doing the things you love on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis? If not, why not? Writing down for one week what you do each hour of the day will help you gain perspective about your relationship with time. Note: you many need to break your time journal into 15 minutes segments during hours you are not working to see how you are spending your time. I encourage you to do this for one week and see if there are any changes you want to make to how you spend your time.

If you are feeling unhappy, unfulfilled, or stressed about your schedule or life in general, we can help. Our trained and experienced licensed mental health counselors can provide the space, expertise and empathy you need to take inventory of your life and begin to see how you can get back on track. Please contact Life Enhancement Counseling Services today at 407-443-8862 to schedule an appointment.