Many people want to be coached to manage their time better. I say NO! to that. You cannot manage time anyway; it just keeps ticking away no matter what you do.
What you can do is manage yourself based on the two concepts I keep mentioning: self-knowledge and self-acceptance. Following are four principles to maximize the time that you have. They take time to incorporate into your life at the habit level. Don't give up. Keep practicing.
1) GOOD ENOUGH
Accept that no human being is meant to do everything. We all have our uniqueness; things we do better than others and vice versa. Perfection is not a human condition. Cut yourself some slack and adopt the concept of "good enough". You can rework your resume 50 times. Is it really so much better than a much earlier draft? You can shop for the perfect dress endlessly? Wasn't the first one you tried and liked as good as the 15th? How much time did you spend past "good enough"? Demand higher standards of excellence where it really counts.
2) SPECIALNESS
Concentrate on excelling in what you do well, what you would enjoy doing better, and new areas you would like to learn. Delegate, hire, share, partner with people who complement you or can fill the needs you have in areas you don't enjoy or do not know that well. Don't ever berate yourself for not being able to do it all. Appreciate your talents and excellence and flaunt them. They are you, yours and very special. Let others have their specialness too. The results will not only save time but enrich and free you.
3) ENERGY AND TIME
Know and honor your energy levels. Are you a morning person, do you have an afternoon slump? Your time will be best used if you pace the tasks you have to do based on this knowledge. Do the most challenging at your peak energy time. Build in your Joy Breaks (see last month's newsletter) both as rewards for finishing a formidable task and to refresh yourself at low energy periods.
4) FOCUS IN THE MOMENT
Develop habits that help you focus on what you are doing in the moment. Do not allow yourself to think of what you have to do next while you are doing what you are doing. Put a "do not disturb" sign on your door and do not take phone calls. By putting everything else out of your mind while focusing on the task at hand, you will be using your time efficiently. If you get stuck on something, take a break. Move to something else, get the information you need to continue, change scenery, stretch, whatever it takes, but don't sit there stuck.
Note: The suggestions I make are not one dimensional or simple. The questions I suggest you ask yourself have multiple answers and may be different on different days. I suggest you keep them all in a file or notebook and refer back to them regularly. You will gain a lot if you do.
About The Author
Dorene Lehavi, Ph.D. is principal of Next Level Business and Professional Coaching. She coaches Professionals and Business Partners and teaches teleclasses on techniques to break through barriers to the next level. Dr. Lehavi offers a complimentary coaching session so you can experience how coaching can work for you. Contact Dr. Lehavi at dl@coachingforyournextlevel.com or on the web at dl@coachingforyournextlevel.com Subscribe to Mastering Your Next Level monthly e-newsletter at dl@coachingforyournextlevel.com
cleaning team near Winnetka ..Time is inelastic. Despite what some of us persist in... Read More
The concept of Mercury Retrograde is very well known even... Read More
Are you drowning in a sea of unread papers? Do... Read More
Why waste your precious time working on tasks, which are... Read More
Increased productivity, the ability to get more value for our... Read More
"Slaves to the clock" was the cover story in the... Read More
How can you get an extra hour out of each... Read More
Your time and energy are the two most precious gifts... Read More
Do you have plenty to do, but don't have enough... Read More
How do you know what's the best use of your... Read More
Any habit of mind or body that interferes with taking... Read More
"Because there will always be something more to do, we... Read More
In most organizations, meetings are often the biggest time-wasters. With... Read More
When is the best time to plan your day? Well,... Read More
Recently I was working with a new client who had... Read More
It's amazing how many sayings there are in our culture... Read More
One of the biggest problems most people have when it... Read More
As a home-based, self-employed woman, mundane tasks can be as... Read More
Many of us spend long hours at our desk. To... Read More
Despite the best of intentions, most of us don't use... Read More
If I had a dollar or even better a pound... Read More
In working with and coaching people across the country, one... Read More
If you can motivate yourself at will to get any... Read More
Whatever providence has in store for us tomorrow is not... Read More
The most powerful resource that we have is time. Everything... Read More
family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..How many times have you remarked to someone that there... Read More
If you can regularly ask yourself "Am I regularly and... Read More
Work life balance is the new Holy Grail; that search... Read More
Does choosing which time we do an activity really make... Read More
Such an innocuous little phrase, yet when you are hard... Read More
If you can motivate yourself at will to get any... Read More
Our daily lives are inundated with a crammed to-do list.... Read More
Are you drowning in a sea of unread papers? Do... Read More
Despite the best of intentions, most of us don't use... Read More
Many of us spend long hours at our desk. To... Read More
Do you manage your time or does your time manage... Read More
Do you believe that the best way to deal with... Read More
Women's health issues often are focused on goals to reach:... Read More
It is common knowledge that creating and living according to... Read More
This may not sound like a big deal. But it's... Read More
It's amazing how many sayings there are in our culture... Read More
What does it mean to practice self care? It's creating... Read More
One of the biggest problems most people have when it... Read More
Vilfredo Pareto's Principle, or The "Pareto Principle," is more commonly... Read More
Time management is absolute crucial nowadays where business decisions have... Read More
What would be your reaction if someone said to you... Read More
Today, it is hard to open an e-mail newsletter, a... Read More
Time is wealth;Time is health; Time is power; Time is... Read More
What are the most important things you should accomplish today?... Read More
Whenever you have projects that can't be done in one... Read More
Time Management |