How to make the most of your time to tackle big projects

Determination and creativity can be pretty potent driving forces, but very often when they come up against that pesky roadblock called time, they can really lose their drive. Whatever project you want to complete, carving out enough time for it can sometimes be the biggest challenge. You may have a full-time job or kids, or both, to try and juggle or even if you are at home during the day while kids or at school or with a childminder, you can quickly find your precious time being devoured by a number of chores and errands.

So how do we manage to get enough time to complete our dream projects? Here are a few tips to make sure you have enough time to get the job done.

Make the most of the mornings

This is the time of the day when you are going to have the most energy and focus. It’s not just that you have had a good night’s sleep, but it is also the time of day when you have most time in front you. If you have kids and do a school run, try to time discipline yourself to start work as soon as you get home. This may mean getting up a little bit earlier to get all the household chores, but will help you focus and concentrate once you are ready to start.

Set yourself mini challenges

You’re not going to write a novel in an afternoon and you know that. But, setting yourself a challenge to have set amount of words written by a certain time gives you a manageable task. Hit it, then make another one and all of a sudden you are further down the road than you realize.

Don’t wait for inspiration

If you have zoned off some time, but the creative juices aren’t flowing, don’t sit around waiting for inspiration to strike. Go for a walk, make some coffee or just brainstorm some ideas to get your mind in gear again.

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Unpicking the Phrase ‘Happily Ever After’

When you read the words ‘happily ever after’, your mind will almost certainly go to fairytales and the generic happy ending, usually involving a king or princess getting married.. But where does this stock phrase and the concept of the happy ending come from?

We take a closer look at the origins of ‘happily ever after’ and explore this literary trope on a deeper level.

Let’s first take a look at the literal meaning of the phrase. ‘Happily’ may seem self-explanatory from a modern perspective, but it’s interesting and helpful to look at the root of the word anyway. The word ‘happy’ comes from the Old English word ‘hap’ with ‘y’ added to make it into an adjective. The original meaning of the word was closer to ‘lucky’ rather than the general contentment we would now associate with it.

Now moving onto the ‘ever after’ part, this means ‘forever from this moment on’, and is the conventional ending for fairy tales that gives closure to the story by wrapping things up without complication. Typically, this is associated with everlasting love, as many fairytales end with what has long been associated with the ultimate life success - finding a romantic partner and starting a family.

There is one view that this is a bit of a lazy way to end any story, but as many fairytales are intended for children, it’s understandable. On top of this, the content and moral of the story is often more important than delivering a complex or thought-provoking ending.

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