Have you tackled everything on your bucket list? Do you believe that your dreams are unattainable? Have you at least tried? Chances are, the reason you haven’t tried is because you lack the time. In the meantime, you’re seeing everyone else in your life accomplishing their goals and “living the life” on social media. Your life is passing you by.

It feels the same at work. There is so much expected of you and you can’t seem to catch up with your inbox. You have tried every time management tool and nothing ever seems to work. The sad reality is that they never will.

But there is hope. In actuality, you have all the time you need to achieve your dreams and catch up with and eliminate your mess. There are ways to take advantage of the time allotted to you in this life.

Put as much time to organize your personal life as you do your professional life.

While the option to take personal days at work are available, many of us are hesitant to make the call and stay home. Often times it may be discouraged in the workplace to take time off because it would “steal away” from the productivity of the company’s work culture. However, if you are not tending to your personal needs, you wouldn’t be able to give yourself fully when it comes to your job. Take days off. Just like you put organizational efforts in your job, you must do so in your personal life. When there is a lot to do at home that has not yet been addressed, your concentration at work will not be up to expectation. It’s important for your mental health and it will provide you opportunity to get back to work refreshed, focused and ready to go.

Organize your distractions.

There is definitely a need to “check out”. Be purposeful in planning time to relax without thinking about work or any other problems. A great way to make sure this happens is to intentionally block out an hour or two for just zoning out. Whether you read a book, watch TV or just take a walk, this time for yourself to rejuvenate is needed.

Turn off the electronics.

We are living in an age where we are never unplugged. You can have access to anyone and anything in the world simply by looking at your phone. When it comes time to relax, turn your phone off. Unplug from any electronics in your home. Go old school. If you need to get dinner, don’t call an Uber to send your food. Get in the car or go for a walk and pick up the food yourself. You’ll be surprised of the new things you see or encounter when you don’t have your head buried in your phone.

Get to know new people outside of your circle.

They say that the people you spend most of your time with are those that are very similar to yourself. While there’s nothing wrong with having a set circle of friends, it is always good to expand outside of that and find individuals that think completely different. Be intentional with getting to know someone you have absolutely nothing in common with. Absorb their way of thinking. See how they live their life. Pay attention to how they react differently to things than you do. You would be amazed at how much you can grow from just changing your atmosphere of friends if only for a day or two.

Have fun. Live a little.

Nowadays, people wear stress as a trophy. If you don’t have stress, you’ve got nothing to brag about. Normally, the people that are extremely high strung with work during the weekdays are the ones that are getting drunk in bars or Netflix binging and eating Cheetos on their couch all weekend. There is no judgement. We’ve all done it.

However, instead of making this a habit, force yourself to have fun. Continue to connect with multiple people so that your uneventful weekends can be full of activities. And while it’s good to have our personal days or organized distraction moments from time to time, too much of it could lead to depression and slothfulness. In everything, a good balance is needed.

So don’t let your life pass you by! Take the necessary steps to give yourself extra time. Cash in on that personal day to get your personal life organized. Be sure to also throw in some zone out time for rest and rejuvenation. Learn how to have fun and surround yourself with new people that will allow you to think differently and challenge you in life. If you follow these simple things, you’ll be sure to have more energy and time to follow your dreams.