Memorable Monday - I Find Each Day Too Short

“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.”


John Burroughs



Hmm…it’s like John Burroughs just read my mind. I don’t think there could ever possibly be a time when I have done all the things, spoken to all the people, or read & learned all I wanted to for that day.

It’s frustrating at times, but it also feeds my drive and fuels my ambition. The trick is to figure out which things are most important and make sure those things don’t get neglected due to a lack of time.

Every single day I’d like to:


• See my daughter


• Spend time with my fiancé


• Talk to my grandma


• Play with my nieces & nephews


• Spend quality time with my friends


• Talk to various people in my family


• Learn something new


• Zone out on the computer


• Go to a lecture with a captivating instructor


• Read (one of the million books on my list)


• Pray


• Mentor someone who could benefit from my life & work experiences


• Volunteer my time & energy to a worthy cause


• Read the Bible


• Listen to music (and no doubt, sing along)


• Go for a walk


• Snuggle a baby


• Hang out with a toddler


The list goes on and on. Given that there are only 24 hours in a day and that as humans, we must sleep in order to survive, there’s no possible way to do everything I want to every day. So what can you do?

I’m a planner and I personally love lists & calendars. Its a little work to put together in the beginning, but it makes a world of difference when you get it up and running. I keep track of everything with my calendar. Then I don’t have to stress about where I’m supposed to be, when I’m supposed to be there, etc. But, that’s just a part of it.



I think the most important thing to do is to figure out what things you NEED in order to stay healthy, and to rejuvenate you when you’re running low on inspiration. You MUST incorporate these things in to your life, or you won’t of any use to anyone. You will eventually burn out and it’s always harder to pick yourself back up when you feel like you have nothing left to give.

I try to focus on the relationships in my life that are most important to me and I do my best not to neglect them. Trust me, they will wither and die if you don’t nurture them. Without these relationships, what have you got?

I start with my daughter and my fiancé and work my way out from there. I try to give them my heart and let them know how much they mean to me. I schedule time in my calendar just for them, and I treat those appointments very seriously.

I have a similar approach to my friendships. There are two key things I work on to keep my friendships strong. First, I make a real effort to spend time with people. I can’t see all my friends in a day, a week, or even a month. But, I can schedule time to spend with each of them on a consistent basis, and I do. It can be tricky with hectic schedules, but it can and does work.

The second key element is to be present when you’re with someone. It doesn’t matter if it’s a friend, a loved one, a teacher, a student, or a client. No matter how crazy your schedule is you have to truly pay attention to who you’re with at any given time, and really be there with them if you want them to feel like they matter to you. If you’re not willing to do this, you might as well free up your calendar to do something else.

You may not be able to do everything you want to in a given day, but there’s no reason not to fully embrace all the things you can and keep pursuing all the wants, needs, desires, and dreams that temporarily elude you.