I know, you’re probably very busy (aren’t we all?). So, I’ll make this quick.
These days “busy” is a status symbol. We’re almost proud to tell people how busy we are.
Why? If we’re busy, it just means that we haven’t figured out how to effectively manage where we should put our efforts and attention. We shouldn’t be proud to be bad self-managers, should we?
Let’s take a few minutes each day to look over our calendars and assess what things are vital, what things are desirable and what things are just filler.
And let’s be honest with ourselves.
Many times we put things on our calendars for other people, but will those other people really miss it if we don’t do such and such?
Will it truly help in building our relationship, or will it just make us feel like we’re being good little martyrs giving of our precious time for someone else.
Today, let’s focus on the things that matter most. Let’s only focus on the necessary, the vital. And if we have time for some other, desirable things, great.
If we just have time left over to have a conversation with our loved ones at the end of the day… wait, that one’s already in the Vital category… Isn’t it?
Start with a Time Audit. Look back at today’s schedule and make an effort to recall how you spent your day. Intervals of 15 minutes are ideal, but if your memory is like mine, you’ll be doing well to recall your day in 30 minute chunks. Then, for the next week, write down how you spend your day as you do it. Now, look back and see where you are most productive and where you wasted the most time. That will give an indication of how to improve your schedule.