3 Tips for Better Time Management
I once believed that proper planning and time management would free me from stress, anxiety and overwhelm. Big fat lie - It doesn’t!
It didn’t matter what version of planner I bought. Chunking my time into bite sized pieces didn’t remove the pressure either.
And, the more I tried to manage my time the more overwhelmed I became.
Looking at all the densely packed blue blocks on my phone’s calendar made it difficult to even breathe.
And then it hit me!
It isn’t about managing my time!
It’s about managing my priorities!
It was about honoring who I was and what was important to me! I needed to set boundaries, priorities and time for myself to think clearly and make smart decisions.
When we don’t take the time to look at our life and it’s muriad of demands, we lose sight of what really matters.
1. Not everything that is urgent needs to be done immediately
If we don’t set goals for what we want out of life, there will be someone else who will fill up our time to get his or her own goals accomplished. We may end up off track, spending time on another persons urgent job instead of what is truly important to us.
When we honor ourselves enough to make our aspirations a priority while simultaneously supporting others we will make the time to work on our goals or care for our physical and emotional health.
We all have obligations towards our employers or our own businesses. There are ways to be a team player, support the greater mission and set appropriate boundaries to protect our time.
2. Pay attention to where your focus goes
Do we need to answer the phone 24/7? Can we check email only once a day on weekends and holidays, instead of reacting to each message notification right away? How about we answer emails within 24 hrs instead of immediately?
Ask yourself:
What am I willing to do with an open heart and with joy?
What am I ok with occasionally?
Where do I need to say NO in order to honor my own health and be true to my own goals?
Life is full of distractions. And, our smartphones are one of the biggest attention grabbers. Turn unnecessary notifications off or put the phone away when you need to accomplish something. Set a specific time for how long you will be on social media and for what purpose. Give yourself a time limit for personal calls.
Please use your own judgement of what’s appropriate and feasible for your situation. Remember, you make the rules by what you allow in!
3. Instead of crossing off tasks think about the outcome
I once thought that being the most efficient person I knew would somehow bring more happiness into my life. My calendar looked like the take-off and landing schedule of Newark Airport than that of a caring mother, wife and coach.
I was focused on getting things done and not on what created the most impact!
It didn’t take long until I was burned out, irrational and crying on my girlfriend's shoulder.
We are living beings, not living doings. The more we love ourselves, the more we will make it a priority to care for our physical and emotional wellbeing. It’s not just about the food we eat and the exercise we do.
It’s also about how we look at life at large. If we can keep the big picture and our long term goals of overall health, wellbeing and success in mind, it will be easier to say no to less important tasks and honor ourselves more.