Prioritize, Decide, Set Boundaries 3 Keys To Time Management - Work It Daily

Prioritize, Decide, Set Boundaries 3 Keys To Time Management - Work It Daily How often have you said, “If I only had more time,” or, “I wish there were more hours in the day?” We say that often implying that, if we had more time, we would get the rest we need or slow down to a more normal pace. But chances are if we did have more hours in the day, we would immediately fill them up with more things to do instead of creating the space we need to take a much-needed break. We don’t really need more time in the day. What we really need are strategies to better manage our time. The concept of time management is not new: most of us have schedules, planners, and reminder notes a plenty. What’s lacking though is the prioritization, decisions, and boundaries needed to ensure the schedule works not just for your job, family, friends and commitments, but the schedule has to work for you as well. I often hear from clients that they are overworked and reaching a burn out point. When I ask them if they have purposely carved time out for themselves, they look at me as if I have just grown another head. Too many of us put time for ourselves last on the list. It slips our minds that, if we get run down (and it really is more of a “when” than “if”), we put ourselves at a higher risk of being out of commission. I’ve often wondered why we are only willing to take a rest once we get sick or reach a point of exhaustion. Keys To Time Management Here are three time management tips: 1. Set Priorities Effective management of time begins with setting priorities. Start by making a list of all the task you have to do this week. Once you’ve got a completed list, go back to the top of your list and add your name. If your name or doing something for you was already on the list, give yourself a pat on the back and make sure it is at the top. I recently suggested to a client creating more time in her schedule for herself, started with her recognizing she is more important than her job. Maybe for you, it’s something or someone else that has become more important than you to where you constantly sacrifice your needs and wants in a way that borders on unhealthy. 2. Make Decisions Now that you have your list, you have some decisions to make. Unless you’ve done a really good job of filtering, you probably have a list that is way too long to be realistic. Make a first decision to carve out time for you, it doesn’t have to be a big chunk of time to start with. Try setting aside 15 minute blocks of time for yourself. Use the time to walk, read, take a nap, and call a friend. Make a list of things you can do in 15 minutes. That way, you don’t spend your block of time trying to figure out what to do. Other decisions: Decide on the number of things that are number one priorities. Will you have two or four things that must get done? Choose what you can realistically handle. That does not mean you won’t get to other things, it just allows you to take some of the pressure off that comes with feeling like you have to do everything now. Please note this is not procrastinating - you’re not putting it off out of avoidance or fear. You are wisely taking control of your clock and taking care of yourself. 3. Set Boundaries Lastly, you want to set boundaries. Look for ways to set healthy limits in your relationships. This includes relationships at work and with friends. It also means setting limits and keeping promises to yourself. Most of us wouldn’t dream of breaking a promise we made to someone else, and if we did, we’d spend at least a week beating ourselves up about it. But we break promises to ourselves all the time, crossing the boundaries we’ve set for ourselves. Until we matter enough we will continue to dishonor ourselves by breaking our promises and running over the boundaries we’ve set. While it’s true no one gets more than 24 hours in a day, we still have power over how productive we are by managing our time. Managing time is more than just the ability to layout an organized schedule. True time management means setting priorities that communicate clearly what’s really important, making wise decisions that help set realistic goals, and setting firm boundaries that allow us to keep the promises we make to ourselves and others. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!