Choice: Give Yourself the Green Light
by Debra B. Taylor

It really has been a beautiful fall here in New England where I live. The magnificent splendor of the foliage, the chill in the crisp autumn air and the shortening days all highlight the transition to a new season. As in life, nature reminds us that whether we like it or not, change is upon us.

We turn our clocks back on Halloween this year, Sunday, October 31st. In my house, we’ve been debating how we will use our extra hour. My two teenagers have decided that they will SLEEP.

What will you do with your extra hour?

Notice the first thing that springs to mind; this is probably your intuition telling you exactly what you need to do.

In our time-starved, stressful modern existence, an extra hour is a gift. We are experts at multi-tasking, running from one thing to the next, always bemoaning the past and/or worried about the future.

It’s easy for professionals to feel trapped by the very success we’ve worked so hard to achieve – by the high pressure job 24/7, by all our responsibilities, by stress, by a lack of meaning and fulfillment. Underneath it all, a fear of change and a belief in limited options can make our lives feel out of control.

Add in the impending craziness of the holiday season almost upon us and feel the rise in our stress levels! And we’re supposed to enjoy life too?!

Fall is a good time to be conscious of the choices we are making with our time, both in our personal and professional lives. Nature reminds us that change is constant and has an ebb and flow to it. Fall is a time of letting go, a transition to winter’s hibernation.

What do you need to let go of? What do you want to nurture? What’s next for you?

To practice being more at choice with your time and nurturing yourself, here are some thoughts on how to use your extra hour next week:

• Play. Often we can’t even think about change until we are relaxed, fully enjoying the present. Rake leaves, watch football (or baseball!), buy pumpkins with your family, read a book, go biking—whatever activity causes YOU to fully lose track of time.
• Take time totally to yourself—for self-reflection, for self-care, for solitude. Take a walk with your dog, get a manicure, window-shop, journal, play music.
• Stephen Covey said, "First things first". Make a list of how you are spending your time and then number them in the order of what makes you happy.
• What is one thing you could do on a regular basis that would make a tremendous positive difference in your life? What would it take to do this?
• Connect with family and friends. Transition can be hard without support. Buy pumpkins with your family, plan an impromptu get together with friends.

And of course, you can always sleep for an extra hour!

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