Time is one of our most valuable commodities. That’s why people spend thousands of dollars and, yes—lots of time!—attending time management seminars and reading books about the latest time management theories.

If only we could learn how to better manage time! That would solve everything, right?

It’s funny how we give so much credit to time. When we are feeling frazzled and harried and just plain burnt-out we like to blame it on time, as if it’s something that we can’t control.

And to a certain degree, we’re right. We can’t manage time. We can’t control how much time is in a day, or how quickly or slowly it moves.

But we can control what we do with our time.

I know what you are thinking. Something along the lines of, “Yeah, right. Try to convince me of that once you’ve taken a look at my family obligations, job responsibilities, and all the other stuff that eats up my time.”

If you feel like you are drowning in a sea of things that need to get done, you aren’t alone. But you are out of control.

Forget the fancy seminars and bestseller books. Time management really just boils down to taking back control. It’s about understanding just one simple truth: How you spend your time is completely up to you. It’s not up to your spouse or your parents. It’s not up to your kids. And it’s certainly not up to your boss.

Working less and making more is all about finding the time to do the things that you want and need to do. In order to live—and love—your life, you are going to have to realize that it belongs to you. And that includes your time.

Think about the things that you really love to do. Have you found the time to do them, despite family and job obligations? Probably. So it can be done. Finding time is as simple as investing in the things that really matter.