#1 of “The Neglected Four”

I have been so inspired to hear from my readers about actions they are taking as a result of my newsletters. You know we’ve been “talking” about time – how we really spend ours’ and how we can make time count.

A response I loved came from a woman who said that she realized (after reading my DAR note) she had something in her life she had talked about doing for a long time but – you guessed it, she never did. Sound familiar?

This “something” would be fun for her and rewarding. She could make the time available in her calendar and she had the money – so why didn’t she do it? (If you want to go deep into the “why” question and try to figure that out, go see a counselor. As a coach, my interest is in helping you align “what I say” with “what I do.” )

Her “something?” Reconnect to people with whom she had lost touch – specifically, getting on an airplane if that’s what it entailed, and going to visit some friends. Everyone has someone like that in their life.

Social media has made it a lot easier to reconnect with people from our past, and I, like all of you I’m sure, have had fun doing that. But nothing takes the place of…
• eye to eye
• laugh out loud till you cry, or
• just talk (and cry)
• stay up too late
• eat too much
• feel happy deep down in your bones
• remember something about yourself you had forgotten ~ and simply being in the presence of this person made you remember
• so you know why you are friends and
• why you love them.

Authors Judith Kolberg , one of the country’s first professional organizers, and Dr. Kathleen Nadeau, an ADD specialist, write about what they call “The Neglected Four, “ four items that commonly fall off people’s priority and schedules.

The list surprised me and we will cover one a week in our next newsletters. The example above speaks to the first, socializing. If you’re like me you are thinking how can that be? People are so busy, restaurants are packed, call someone for dinner and they are available three weeks from now…and on and on. Aren’t people’s social calendars simply packed?

Their social calendar may be packed but I don’t think we often are socializing in a way that provides true connection. Lots has been written about people being more technologically connected than ever before – but also lonelier than ever.

How about you? How do you socialize? Is there enough, too much, too little in your life?

Is there a long-time friend you’d like to call – or go visit?

Are you spending time with people who share you core values, and therefore nurture and inspire you?

A litmus test – if, after spending time with someone you leave them and think, “wow, I’m worn out after being with them,” that might be an indicator you’d benefit from spending time with different people…

What do you think? Let me know your thoughts below.