We live in a fast-paced world where everything is designed to be delivered ‘quickly' so we don't waste precious time.

We have express lanes in the supermarket, express counter at the pharmacy, fast food, 10min workouts, speed dating, time saving technology like internet banking, online shopping, online dating, groceries delivery to our door.. but what are we doing with all this saved time?

The number one thing I hear women say is that they don't have time to cook healthy meals, do regular exercise or chill out with a cup of tea and a good book.

Women tell me they rush through their day, getting everything done, running as fast as they can and once their done, can't tell you what it was they did or why it seemed so important.

Ever start the day with good intentions, throw on your gym clothes but by the end of the day you realise you haven't exercised.. or even showered? Do you grab your phone and respond to emails first thing, stay up late working while everyone's asleep, or ending up snacking instead of having a proper meal?

Most professional women find they run out of time for themselves.

All we end up doing is going faster and faster. Sadly, speed is seen as a criteria for success and we sacrifice the very things that give us nourishment, spark, peace of mind and joie de vivre.

But I'm going to burst your bubble…

We have more free time now than 40 years ago.

Studies conducted by Sociologist from Maryland University, Professor Jon Robinson (aka Father Time) found that women have at least 30 hours of free time every week.

That includes working mums too.

This may come as a shock esp if you can't remember when you last had a moment to yourself, but we have more time than we realise.

The key is taking an honest look at how we spend it.

Slow down to speed up!

When we speed up and rush through life so much we leave ourselves behind. We don’t have ‘time’ to think about what's really important to get done, where it is we’re headed, and if we actually want to go in that direction.

Case Study: Kylie, a busy mumprenuer, created 15 hours of free time plus 1/2 day personal time every week (not including weekends) without any impact to her business.

Running a business for 22 years and having a 9 year old and a 3 year old, I got to a point where I was extremely overwhelmed.  My anxiety levels were high every day and I felt caught in a trap of just trying to keep up.  After working with Vesna my anxiety levels are so much better,  I have put in place things to create more ease in my life and time for myself  ~ Kylie, VIC

If you can't find these mysterious 30 hours, then Professor Robinson will tell you you're addicted to being busy. According to his research, women are notorious for this.

(Sign: there's always another thing you need to do before you can stop….and then another i.e you never relax)

We don't need more time. We need to know what we're doing with the time we have.

If feeling great in your body and being mentally sharp everyday is important to you personally and professionally, then look at what's overriding this priority.

If you want to find out where all your time is going, then I have a little exercise for you.

ACTION: this week, write down everything you get done each day.

This is a Done List as opposed to a to-do List.  Use a note book or excel spreadsheet to record exactly what you did each day, chunk it down into 3 hr blocks.

• 6am-9am (before work)
• 9am-12pm (morning-lunch)
• 12pm-3pm (after lunch)
• 3pm-6pm (afternoon block)
• 6pm-9pm  (evening)…and so on.

Include things like, exercise, Facebook/social media, reading newspaper, meetings, emails, lunch, google search time, phone calls to friends, cooking dinner, watching tv, working late, taking kids to sports….EVERYTHING!

Then on Friday assess what and how much you're actually doing, and if it's towards what's important. If not, make adjustments accordingly.

You could find a spare 30 hours in your week for play time!

Why it matters

I'm embarrassed to admit but only in recent years have I come to realise how sacred time is. That it's the most valuable non-renewable resource we have. We tend to focus more on money even though it's replaceable.

Time isn't.

Time spent with loved ones can't be caught up, missing precious moments with kids because you're multi-tasking can't be undone, and you could prioritise self-care for health and longevity when time has run out.

Love to hear your comments below and what you discovered from keeping a ‘done list'.

What do you want more time for?   Leave comments below