Taste Life Blog

Are you overwhelmed, overcommitted and overachieving? Sound familiar? Everyone is struggling with the 24/7 world. Spring is the perfect time to take a breath, a step back and simply your life before you begin running the hectic pace of our long awaited Minnesota summer.

If you fall into bed at night feeling further behind, I believe I have found the perfect solution for you. Juliet Funk a popular motivational speaker and daughter of the creator of Candid Camera has created the concept of “white space” to help us with the whirlwind of life.

Juliet defines white space as improvised or scheduled time and thought for which we have no predetermined agenda or plan. It is open, uncommitted time during which our thoughts can be fluid, flexible, and free-form. It is the time during which strategic thinking occurs, creativity soars and focus returns. Here are five ways to help you create more white space in your days.

White Space for Calendars

Stop and look at your calendar. How much time and space do you allow yourself going from one thing to the next? Protect the space between events on your schedule. Remember everything takes a lot more time than you think. Ask yourself: What can I let go of? Does this activity align with my values? Don’t say “yes” to everything, or at the least say, “not right now.” White space doesn’t just happen, you have to create it and SCHEDULE it. Don’t forget to leave time at the end of your day and your week for planning and clean-up. Make planning and clean-up every day. If you make scheduling white space a priority the people you love most will feel like they are YOUR priority when you leave work on time.

White Space for Meetings

At your next meeting, have a facilitator but no agenda, just a white board and questions like “What is on your minds?” “Where are people stuck?” You can be even more dramatic as Juliet suggests by getting everyone on your team together and locking the door. Tell those assembled that no one eats, checks their phone or goes to the bathroom until meetings are reduced by 30%. Pick one day a week to be a true no-meeting day. As a leader, only attend meetings to share information, make a decision, advise or inspire. If you’re simply making an appearance, open the meeting and then say, “And now I’m going to leave you in the capable hands of…”

White Space for the Car

Next time you’re in the car, try silence. Turn off the radio and your phone. Let your body relax and breathe deeply. Set your mind free to explore and refrain from directing your thoughts. Then prepare for a brilliant ideas. Have a pad of paper ready!

White Space Weekends

Together with your family, select a weekend on the calendar where the family makes a pact to do nothing on Saturday and Sunday. Wake up on Saturday and go with the flow and see how vibrant you feel living in the moment. Bet you’ll want to do it again.

White Space in Conversations

We were born with two ears but only one mouth. Some people say that’s because we should spend twice as much time listening. Others claim it’s because listening is twice as difficult as talking. We need to listen for facts, feelings and what they are really saying. What is not being said? Even silence is a type of listening. Use the acronym W.A.I.T. – Why Am I Talking?

Does this all sound overwhelming? Just start. Ask yourself, how much white space will I have today? White space means more energy to do the things that truly matter. Your productivity and happiness truly lies in your white space. Your friends and family are waiting. Better get busy and get this figured out before the lure of our magical summertime is upon us.

Originally written for: http://www.swnewsmedia.com/chanhassen_villager/news/opinion/get-your-life-on-track-with-more-white-space/article_271ce1ee-7a70-5d2e-bf96-543fc4256b91.html