Make a list of your top 5 to 10 life priorities: the things you hope will be your greatest life achievements. These could be your marriage and the children you are raising, your career, relationships with extended family and friends, starting a business, writing a book, and these can of course evolve and change over time as you pass through life's different portals and periods.
Then for one week either review how you spent your time in half hour increments or for the week going forward track that on a sheet of paper for each day.
Next total up all the time you spent specific to your list of "musts" and see where you are and how you are using your time. It can be shocking to see where so much time goes during a week for things like driving around, waiting in the car, trying to get out the door, etc. There are moments there to steal back whether that means being better prepared to get out the door in advance or taking a book, journal, sketchpad or meditations to listen (to to purely relax) with you in your purse.
You will also probably be pleased to realize how much time you do give to the important things. Sometimes you don't realize things like, "Hey I was up all night with my sick little one...that's nurturing one-on-one time!" I think being conscious of these times also helps you be more focused on being present in the moment and making that time valuable and enjoying it, rather that feeling a frustrating sense of lost time.
The second to last step in this life-affirming activity is to set goals and make small adjustments that will get you closer to serving your top priorities every day.
Final step -- move your feet, hands, mind and mouth in the direction you've laid out for yourself. You can do it. Tiny tweaks, course corrections every day. That's all it takes. Be a little better every day.
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