Making Space for More

My husband and I were recently in Italy on another bicycle trip. I love these trips. We went with a first-class company where all we had to do was show up. The company supplied the bikes and the itinerary; the hotels and most of the meals we also covered. They even provided a small device that sits by your handlebars and tells you where to turn so you don’t get lost.

Initially, I thought the trip might be too structured to be an enjoyable vacation. But, it was in the structure that I found freedom. I didn’t have to think about where we were riding or what we would be eating each day. I would just get on my bike and start pedaling.

When I am pedaling, I feel free. On the trip, I felt free to enjoy the beautiful scenery and to feel the warm sun on my face. I also felt free knowing I could eat the wonderful meals we would be experiencing each night. I had the freedom of not worrying about anything, because I knew it was already planned out.

This year, six other friends joined us. I believe it was the structure that allowed all eight of us to travel together so easily. We didn’t have to plan or agree on anything. We just showed up at the given times, at the given places (or not), and had fun.

Think of all the times when you resisted having structure in your life because you thought you would have less freedom. Often, structure can give you more freedom. With more freedom, you can create better results, have more free time, and enjoy more fun.

Having structures of support work to organize our energy and our thinking patterns.

One important structure of support is to have a vision for your life: a vision of what you would love to be living. Your vision will help you stay focused on where you want to go, instead of on your current problems. When you are focused on your vision, decisions become much easier to make. Ask yourself, “Will this bring me closer to my vision or not? Is this something I would love?”

Another helpful structure is to use your calendar. Using your calendar is far more effective than a “to do list.” Plan your day by scheduling when you will work on specific tasks. This may sound restrictive, but once you get in this habit, you can better organize your time to allow for more free time.

Instead of spending unproductive time wondering what to do next or jumping from one task to another, your energy will become more focused and will allow you to accomplish more in less time. Using a calendar will also help you see more clearly what you can remove from your calendar—or to what future things you want to say no—so you don’t overload your calendar.

Would you be willing to try an experiment to see how using your calendar can support your vision?

Pick a day and time—Sundays can work well—where you plan out your week on paper. You will have appointments, but there will also be things you want to accomplish, such as working on your book, creating new business leads, or whatever it may be for you. Be sure to lay out all the steps you’ll take and the time when you will take them.

If you find that you aren’t taking the action steps when they come up in your calendar... well, that’s a whole other topic for another day.

My invitation is to try this for a week and see if you are more productive, have more free time, and feel a greater sense of accomplishment and freedom. Even if you don't feel a huge difference; notice if there's an improvement.

The first step in creating more freedom in your life is to have a vision for where you are headed. If you’d like help creating that vision, I’d like to offer you a complimentary Discovery Session. I will help you get clear on what that vision looks like and a step you can take to move in that direction. Click here to schedule a Discovery Session.

Here’s to your ever-increasing freedom,

Cyn