YOUR TIME AND THE CHINESE FINGER PUZZLE

It is a common experience these days to feel that time is short. We are busy, we have important things to do, and not enough hours in the day in which to do them. That we in America now spend the first five or so months of the year to pay for our taxes doesn’t help.

But living like this becomes something of a Chinese finger puzzle – those gizmos you used to find at fairs where you put your fingers into the ends and then try and pull them out – the contraption tightens as you pull, and the only way out is to relax, stop pulling, push inward instead, and gently twist your fingers out.

Our experience of time is somewhat the same. When we try to fill up our days with purely productive work, meeting deadlines, getting to phone calls, generating business, our days will easily fill. Add to this that if we allot an open ended amount of time to do a certain piece of work, we will tend to fill all of that time; while if we give ourselves a limit, we can usually do the same work in less time.

By completely filling our days, our experience can be that we become more anxious, more stressed, and more desperate for time.

Now I am very much in favor of productive work. Doing what you do well, and offering something of value to people in the form of your goods or services, is one of the great joys and deep satisfactions of life. But it is not everything there is to life.

Paradoxically, when you take time to spend with somebody – helping somebody, paying attention to your son or daughter, taking time with your husband or wife, visiting friends — your experience of time will grow. You will feel as though you have more of an abundance of time.

This is relaxing, it allows you to let go of stress and anxiety to some degree; and it can give you much needed perspective so that you can prioritize your time more effectively. Using your time more effectively translates to working better and being more productive.

The Chinese finger puzzle slips off, and you can get on with the important things in life – all of them: your work, your family, your friends, and the other activities that you value.

I’m going to make this one short and sweet, so you can take some time right now to talk with somebody you care about, if possible. It will likely open up some more possibilities for your day.

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Join me for an exciting new Mastering Happiness Oct./Nov. Teleclass.

Enter the New Year with the momentum of new habits that have already begun to be established.

Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, as we head into Fall it’s a good time to look at what has and hasn’t worked so far this year, and to take stock of our lives so we can set fresh and inspiring goals that will take us toward a more meaningful and satisfying life.

We are bombarded with volumes of self-help or advice books, experts on television or other media telling us their ideas for living a good life. Many of which contradict one another! Meanwhile the science is often written in language that makes it hard to translate into useful action. Very few people have an understanding of the science of goal setting and the research around how to live a truly happy, flourishing, successful life.

In this class, you will not only learn principles of living a happier life, you will learn how to set and fulfill your goals, how to practice what you do to achieve excellence, and how to effectively use your willpower and mindsets to create a more effective life.

Cost is $400. The class will be interactive, with homework and handouts to supplement the learning and takeaways. E-mail me at [email protected]  to sign up. There will be a sign up page at my website, drjoelwade.com soon.

The teleclass will be taped and available for the class if there is an absence.

Class is limited to fifteen participants. The 90-minute teleclass will be held on four consecutive weeks:

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER TUESDAY EVENING CLASSES

• Tuesday, Oct. 23th at 4 pm PST (7 pm EST)
• Tuesday, Oct. 30th at 4 pm PST
• Tuesday, Nov. 6th at 4 pm PST
• Tuesday, Nov. 13th at 4 pm PST

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER WEDNESDAY MORNING CLASSES

• Wednesday, Oct. 24th at 9 am PST (noon EST)
• Wednesday, Oct. 31th at 9 am PST
• Wednesday, Nov. 7th at 9 am PST
• Wednesday, Nov. 14th at 9 am PST