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An idea on time management from a great life coach for personal development growth:
The Time Of Your Life
BY LEA BRANDENBURG
Reprinted with permission
Here are a number of pratical suggestions for finding a way to navigate through the time you have available in your life.
Suggestion: As you read the following, note the one to which you MOST need to pay attention.
Do you try to find time, make time, get time, buy time, squeeze more time into your day? Do you wonder how you'll get everything you need to done, in any given day? Do you suffer from "time-deficit disorder"? Is managing time a mystery to you?
Well, you certainly aren't alone. Many people find their relationship to time a challenge. A vexing challenge. Many of us are walking around stressed and/or overwhelmed much of the time.
There are no simple answers to creating space and time in your life. That said: you may want to try some of these suggestions as a way to navigate through the time of your life.
 You can't manage time, but you can manage yourself and the choices you make with regard to time. Does the way you use time reflect your priorities? Become aware of how you are using your time. Get a snapshot of how the 24 hours you have each day is being used. Create some sort of time log to get a clear picture of how the time you have each day is being used. Once you have this awareness and information, compare it to what you value in your life. Is how you are currently using your time in alignment with what is REALLY important to you?
When overwhelmed or over committed, ask yourself: What's your desired outcome? What's the next action? If nothing else gets done today, what are the one or two items that absolutely MUST be done? Have you fallen into the trap of believing that you have to do everything today? Take time to plan and prioritize.
Know what your personal rhythms are. Do your most difficult tasks when you are at your personal best. Perform less demanding work at the time of day when you are most likely to be in a slump.
With your "to-do" list, separate tasks that can be done quickly and effortlessly today, from the projects that are long term. Don't confuse the two. Doing laundry can be completed in a day, while renovating the house can't.
Give yourself a sense of winning/accomplishment each day. Have a doable goal for each day or week and do it. Completing things makes us feel like we are moving forward in our lives. There is a calming satisfaction when we complete an activity or project.
Learn to say no. Become aware of when you are taking on too much. Learn to value your time. You have 24 hours in day, how do YOU want to use the time?
Try taking time outs. Build in short times during the day to take a step back and catch your breath. Get off automatic pilot and become aware. Once you ground yourself in the present moment, you'll find you'll make better decisions because you've stopped long enough to hear what your inner wisdom is trying to tell you.
Make appointments with yourself. If you have a big project that you need to start, set aside time for it and write it in your calendar. Set time limits on projects.
Procrastination is an energy drain.Time you could spend tackling the project you are avoiding is being spent worrying about not doing the project or feeling guilty about not doing the work. Procrastinating can also create a crisis or problem. Try to handle things before they become fires that need to be put out.
Make caring for yourself a high priority.For example, if you need eight hours of sleep a night, get them. You will function better. Just as your car will not function properly without sufficient gas, your body will not function well without enough fuel. The better you care for yourself, the more you'll have to give to others.
© Copyright 2002, Lea Brandenburg
Lea Brandenburg is president of Creating Strategies in New York, NY, and has been coaching an international group of clients and businesses since 1997. Her areas of expertise and passion are interpersonal and business communication, intuitive intelligence and creativity. She is a graduate of Coach U, the coaching industry's premiere and oldest training program, a member of the International Coach Federation, which is an association dedicated to preserving the integrity and ethics of the coaching profession, and a Founding Member of Coachville, the first on line coaching training company and portal. You can contact her at lea@creatingstrategies.com. |
