Sedona Life and Business Coach Sharon Hooper presents...
Time Management For Busy People
Are you feeling stressed or overwhelmed because
there are so
many items on your “to do” list?
You might be asking yourself, “how will
I ever get this all done?!”
Committing to more than you can handle
It’s usually easy to say “yes” to one more thing
when someone calls wanting a “quick favor”, because in
the moment we forget how much is already on the proverbial plate!
We don’t want to let anyone down, or maybe we think this will
lead to more business, or we want someone to succeed etc. ad nauseum!
Perhaps your manager is fond of piling on projects…on top of
another, and another.
We often cram so much into our schedule that we get frustrated,
sick or stressed, because we simply put ourselves into a
position where we cannot possibly keep all the balls in the air without
dropping a few with a thud!
A vicious cycle
When we commit to more than we can handle comfortably, we create
a vicious cycle which often results in negative feelings about self
esteem and our abilities…while still trying to manage more than
is humanly possible! Symptoms often crop up—stress, overload,
illness!
An illuminating exercise
Take, make or scribble a month's worth of days (looks like a regular
calendar page).
Write, in order of priority (using a bright marker
so that you can really SEE the blocks of time used): Non-negotiable
items (only those that are absolutely necessary), for instance:
The number of hours you need for sleep;
The number of hours at your place of work;
Regularly scheduled meetings;
Time to spend with partner/spouse/children/family;
Scheduled vacation time;
Personal time (most people ask -- "what's that" :-)
Fill in other necessary time commitments.
Okay, the calendar is full and there are still items to list!
You will evidently see how much of your time is already used up for
non-negotiable items. These situations are necessary to live your
life. You may also still have a list that simply didn’t make
it to the calendar!
Then your job is making decisions about what IS really necessary
to live
a happy, purposeful and productive life. What needs to go?! What needs
to stay?
First steps first
You can only manage so many items in one day. We often create our
own misery without fully realizing that we’ve created a time
monster! When people experiment with this simple calendar method I’ve
devised, and can visually see how much of their time is gone (just
with “priorities”) they are flabbergasted!
Do this first step and see how much time is left over. Start with
your priorities. Perhaps you’ll find that your whole life needs
re-prioritizing. And, some of you may happily discover that you're
really good at taking on only what you can handle comfortably.
The next step
When you reach the point of time saturation, re-evaluate what you
are trying to juggle, or rethink your goals—and why you desire
specific results. Perhaps you just need to hire someone else to take
on some necessary jobs that you can let go of. There are many virtual
assistants who can provide this service. Maybe you need a person in-house
full time, or part time. Does your staff need to be increased? If
you’re a manager, can two departments be incorporated for better
efficiency?
Beyond the calendar exercise
This calendar exercise may have opened up a larger arena of questions
and ideas to ponder. Shifting usually does necessitate re-evaluations
starting from the inside out and taking a good look at how each part
of your life or business is flowing, what’s working the best,
what’s not. There are many books and methods concerning time
management. Many authors have written about why their time management
ideas are the best.
“Time management experts” may indeed have a different
slant on this topic. However, I maintain that we simply cram too much
into our day and then wonder why we can’t manage it. I believe
that the only way to solve this at a foundational level is to get
totally clear on what is important in our lives and why.
I am passionate about your success!
Please call me for a complimentary coaching session to explore
how you can strategically, and creatively, design an exciting plan
of
action that provides the results you want for any aspect of
your life or business.
