Organizing Your Time: How a 'Later List' Can Help You to Live in the Present
When you’re raising a family, time is definitely a luxury. It’s hard to find a slot in your schedule for what we want to do, never mind the necessities that life throws our way. My absence from this blog this year is a perfect example: I love sharing my thoughts with you all, but sometimes family comes first.
Today I wanted to talk about the concept of a ‘Later List’ – the life-changing tool that helps you organize your time more wisely and live firmly in the present.
If you’ve been struggling to prioritize or feel guilty for sidelining your business goals, keep reading. You might just find the reassurance you’ve been looking for…
What Is a Later List?
You’re probably wondering what a later list is, right? If you’re unfamiliar with the world of productivity, a do-it-later list is designed to store all of your long-term goals and aspirations. As the name suggests, it’s not something you’ll be tackling in the present. These are aims you’ll get round to achieving one day – but not quite yet.
I first learned about this tool from a friend while enjoying a lunchtime hike in the park. Our situations were completely different at the time: her schedule was overwhelmed by motherhood, and my life was consumed by the waiting game of IVF.
She told me about a suggestion she’d received from a mentor – to create a Later List. A place to safely store your biggest hopes and dreams where they’ll wait until your kids have grown up. At the time, I couldn’t understand it myself because my biggest goal was to have a child of my own.
After succeeding with becoming pregnant after a failed transfer post IVF, I can finally understand the power of creating that list... The IVF story is for another day...
Isn’t a Later List Just an Excuse to Put Things Off?
A lot of financial or business-related advice can be incredibly reductive. We’re told to chase our dreams and fight for what we want, no matter the consequences. For some business gurus, a later list might seem like their worst nightmare.
The truth is, creating a later list isn’t about sidelining your passions or putting your dreams on the backburner. It’s about prioritizing what’s important.
Children don’t stay young forever – we have to make the most of that time while we still have it. Do the coloring with crayons, tickle them until they giggle, dance in the kitchen.
That’s how we truly live in the moment.
Don’t Forget, There are Some Jobs You Should Prioritize
Creating a later list can be a great way of prioritizing family time while keeping your key goals in mind, but there are some jobs you shouldn’t put on the backburner.
Those tasks include:
❖ Managing your budget wisely to keep your money in check
❖ Eliminating risks to your family with insurance or estate planning
❖ Developing personal talents so you can do a job that you love
If you’re looking for some advice regarding financial planning, risk management or bettering your business practices, I’d love to help. Visit my website now to arrange a chat!
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