As the year winds down, it is natural to reflect on goals and behaviors we’d like to change.  It’s easy to make excuses for why we haven’t yet made the changes we’d like to, and most often, it comes down to time.  It’s important to remember that we can accomplish big things in small bites of time.  You can read a picture book to your little one in ten minutes.  You can take a quick jog on the treadmill, call a relative, make an appointment for your yearly physical, or do a quick weight circuit at the gym.  You can walk around the block three times.  You can do a several sun salutations.  You can write a love note and pick some flowers for your partner.

How many ten minute segments have we sat in front of the computer, in front of the television, feeling frustrated that we don’t have the time to do what we want.  You can make the best use of a traffic jam by listening to the foreign language disc you always wanted to study.  Waiting on line at the bank?  Close your eyes and do a power meditation.  Stuck on the subway?  Watch a podcast or read that novel.  Ten minutes until your next meeting?  Jog up and down the stairwell.  

It’s up to us to empower our employees and help them to be the best they can.  When people feel helpless to manage their lives, they struggle.  When they feel unable to reach their personal goals, they become frustrated and anxious.  We need to remind ourselves and others that often one of the most important gifts we can give is our time, even to ourselves.  Each hour is made of six gold slices.  That’s 144 opportunities a day to fit in something that feeds our souls, our bodies, to learn something new, and to reach out to our loved ones.