Are you using your time wisely?

We all have the same amount of time. 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Time is something we can't get more of. Once it's gone...it's gone. It is how we use our 24 hours that is important. Some of us are good at managing our time and getting things done. Some of us still have a problem managing our time wisely. Most of the time you can put me in this group. No matter how much I plan, I always fall in the time wasting trap. (either by my doing or somebody else) I start off really good, then something happens and I have too much to do and no time left to do it. Some of it is that I add too much to an already busy day. I don't account for the fact that life happens and there are people who need me during the day. Unexpected phone calls, emails that need an answer right away, unscheduled meetings. You know life. I am sure you have your own list of "life" happenings that get in the way of your carefully planned day.

Last week was one of those weeks. It is my busy season at work. Every day was crammed with the things I planned to do, and then the things that were unplanned that had to happen. There were times when I just had to take a deep breath, say a quick prayer and smile to keep from exploding. After 3 days of this I finally had to stop. I felt my heart beating faster with anxiety as I wondered how I was going to handle the things I needed to get done, with the things that other people expected me to get done. My first thought was I am not going to make myself sick trying to move at warp speed. I am a human and not a robot. I can only do what I can do. And my last thought was that I would prioritize the things on my list of "to do's. If I am going to manage my time I need to establish my priorities. Here are a few things that helped me to breathe easier this week.

Prioritize - I decided what things had to get done. There were some deadlines that I had to meet. Some phone calls that I had to make. Some meetings that I needed to attend.

Subtract - There are some things on your list that really are not top priority. They may be things that you want to do, but they could be done later. Move those down on the list.

Set some goals - Decide what and when you are going to do the things on your list. I find that I work better if things are written down. I like checking off as I complete an item.

Get organized - Now this right here is my goal for 2020. Being organized helps with that stress level. Nothing is worse than needing to find a report and not knowing where you put it. Take the time to organize your work space, home, and car.

Realize that somebody else's emergency is not cause for you to panic - there are some people who are always on 10. They get so excited about things that they cause you to panic too. Stop it. Don't feed into that energy.

As you prepare to go into this week, stop take a deep breath, look over my list above and get a head start on managing your time.

Photo by Mpho Mojapelo on Unsplash