Do you ever say or hear, “There’s just not enough time in the day.” This phrase has become a part of our modern culture, and the lack of time has become the enemy.

If you feel like time is elusive, define what’s important to you, otherwise you’ll end up getting sidetracked doing things that are low in priority and doing what others want you to do, leaving no time at all for what you truly want to spend your time on.

Here are some tips as to how to make the most of your time.

Value your time. No matter what you do, it takes time to do it. The key is to decide what is important to you. People who want your time might think you’re being rude and get upset when you say no to them, but the reality is that you are just choosing to manage your time wisely.

Don’t give away your time just to please another. Doing what someone else thinks is important might seem like the best solution in the short term, but in the long term it fosters resentment and closes your heart to love.

Daily mission

Remember, your life is a finite collection of years, days, hours and minutes, and everyone has the same 24 hours each day. Decide what you want to do with those hours; otherwise, you’ll end up helping everyone else get his or her things done and you’ll wonder why you’re so far behind.

Alice Inoue is the founder of Happiness U. Visit yourhappinessu.com.