Do you know where your last 24 hours went? Maybe it’s time for an audit.

How do you feel as you close off your day, the last 24-hour chapter of your life?

Four facts that we all need to accept.

1.    There are 24 hours in a day.

2.    At the end of the 24-hour period, those hours are gone.

3.    Live your Life - is what you do with those hours.

4.    You can invest, waste, or spend your hours.

This number does not change. It isn't affected by seasons, time of the week, your age, magical thinking or declaring, “ there aren't enough hours in the day”.

When the sun sets each day, those 24 hours are never coming back. You’ve traded them for a day of your life. For many, there are patterns in those days, as they turn into weeks and months of your life.

What you do with those hours, thoughtfully, deliberately with purpose or mindlessly, reactively, responding to demands, is going to feel like a good investment with a return, a loss, or a spent allowance.

Time “invested” provides a return that can range from feeling refreshed, re-energized, accomplished, and delighted.

Wasted time is “lost” and comes with remorse, frustration, guilt, or surprise.

“Spent” is neutral, less emotion attached – you had to do something, so you put in the time.

Where those 24 hours were invested, lost or spent produces a result. The result has a contagious effect—not just on you, but on your team and family. When the result has you energized and focused, that shows up in how you lead, how you're present with others, and the decisions you make.

When time goes to things that are important to you, and reflect your priorities, both personal and professional, you feel positive emotions and experience physical benefits. The return on your time is providing a return akin to compound interest or a windfall.

When was the last time you audited yourself?

Living for decades in a world of billable hours had its benefits, and one of them was a keen awareness of where time went, whether it was chargeable or not.

The purpose of the time tracking exercise is to remind you how you use your 24-hour chapters. High-level you time track with curiosity, to see if the "utilization" aligns with your priorities, both personally and professionally.

Deep dive - With clients (and personally) we dig into the data and identify which hours are lost, wasted, or spent on things that don't matter to you, aren't necessary, or should be delegated to someone else. We’re looking for the things you should say NO to. We’re creating more time to focus on the things you want to say “Yes” to. The Yes list includes the activities only you can do, or you should do because they are your responsibility, or you're uniquely qualified for.

If this all feels a little nebulous, let me paint a picture for you. It’s the end of the day, another 24 hours of your one wonderful life…

What if your 24 hours included enough sleep and play/exercise to leave you feeling rested, energized, clear-headed, strong, happy, and optimistic? (Sleep and fitness can do that for you – trust me on this!)

What if most of your meetings, thinking, creating and productive time are focused on your goals, including your business as usual (BAU)? You're where you need to be, and you use time to connect with people, offer encouragement, feedback, listen, and ask questions as you sip coffee with someone for a few minutes.

When you leave work, you might head home to your family, meet friends, or stop by the gym, but the people you’re with (or not with) and things you choose to do reflect your priorities. Whether you're on the sidelines at your daughter's game, in spin class, sipping wine with a friend, or digging up the garden, you are present.

Still painting that picture….your iPhone screen time alert won't show you were also reading an email, scrolling social media, or texting because you're IRL—yes, in real life—living your life—not reading about others, fueling your FOMO because you don't have Coldplay tickets, or replying to emails from others who don't share your priorities and are emailing at eight pm (most nights). Yes, some nights require late emails, but when evening work is the norm, not the exception, what's driving that pattern?

Your priorities extend beyond your career ambitions, and you recognize that much of your success stems from the broad foundation of these priorities, which include your health, family, friends, and fun.

There are 24 hours in a day. It's a fact.

This unchanging unit of time is enough – it's certainly all you have. Be grateful for it. When you go to sleep, this 24-hour chapter is gone.

It became how you lived your life today. I hope you’re smiling.

If it’s time for a time audit, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. It’s a positive personal practice. You have more control than you think. The data is a first step - you can make a change.