How to Overcome Time-Wasters and Take Back Your Life

2016 has been such a paradox for me. Nationally, globally, and in the lives of many of my friends, it’s been a steady stream of sorrow if I don’t sugar-coat it.

But personally? While feeling into all our larger cultural shifts, it’s been amazing in so many ways: My girls are growing up, Presence continues to reach new frontiers, Speakeasy is connecting amazing authors with incredible bloggers, I was able to collaborate on a best-selling book with one of my heroes, and I started classes in the Center for Action & Contemplation’s Living School.

Life is full. I am grateful.

And.

If I’m honest, this rich, full life I’m living highlights a glaring weakness among the glories of my year:

I suck at time management.

Half-days can pass like minutes; social media can rob my attention and my peace. I’m late for appointments; deadlines become blurred lines.

I know a lot of people live their entire lives like this, where “I’m so busy” becomes a mantra, and overwhelm is a badge of honor.

But I can’t help but think there’s a better way to be productive – heck, to be human – in relation to time and how we pattern our days. What do you think?

When my friends Spencer Burke and Tripp Fuller of The Hatchery LA told me that they’ve partnered with entrepreneurial coach Joshua Millage to create an interactive online class on productivity and platform-curation for community leaders, ministry types, and communicators, they got my attention.

After all, I cut my teeth working with Spencer on the late, lamented TheOOZE.com, and launched one of my first businesses with him. And Tripp is one of the single most productive people I know: A theologian, writer, teacher, speaker, and podcaster extraordinaire, who still finds time to be an amazing husband, dad, and friend?

Sign me up.

No, really – sign me up.

I’m going to take Tripp and Joshua’s Hatchery Certification in Transformational Architecture, starting early next year – because I’m up to too much not to.

You might be interested in taking this certification course along with me – or maybe not. Either way, if you want to overcome inertia and reclaim your time, 15 minutes at a time, check out this free video series from Tripp and Joshua. In this short series, they show us how to say “no” to what doesn’t serve our highest path, how to develop new patterns of “yes,” and how to lead our lives with integrity.

I’m grateful for the value they’re bringing to this series. Whether their Certification is for you or not, I think you’ll find alot to glean in these videos. You can get access here.

I’m curious: If you find yourself productive – even if in just one area of your life – what do you do to dwell there? Share your superpower on the blog here!

3 Responses to How to Overcome Time-Wasters and Take Back Your Life

  1. Aaron Zauber December 17, 2016 at 1:59 pm #

    Thanks for the article! I enjoyed your frankness around the struggle and your shares of being inspired by the Hatchery work. I also really love the simple, inviting, modern aesthetic of your site here.

    One place I am productive is in my partnership with my woman. We’ve been in conscious partnership — well, conscious most of the time 😉 — for 7 months, and it’s increasingly more pleasurable, growth inducing and sanctuary-like. I think what has us growing so close and so well together is the time we spend with each other taking a warm bath together almost every night, talking a lot, doing some fun and activating connection practices–very limited TV time.

    Have a great weekend!

    • Mike Morrell December 17, 2016 at 4:54 pm #

      Thanks for chiming in, Aaron! Yes, that sounds inspiring – consciously limiting forms of being ‘together’ that limit connection (ie TV), while doing more of what has you most drawn together. Way to go!

  2. Nicholas Tangen December 20, 2016 at 9:31 pm #

    Hey Mike,
    Thanks for the post! I can sympathize with the time management deficiencies. I am also someone who is often late, and if I don’t write things down, odds are good I’ll forget them. My wife, who is a project manager, has been incredibly helpful and is often giving me advice on how to stay organized. I’m currently enrolled at United Theological Seminary and I’ve found that I stay pretty organized when it comes to school work. I think this is a mixture of developing greater skills and my sincere interest in the work I am doing. I’m interested in the Hatchery offering. Thanks again! Peace.

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