by “If only I had more time, I would…”
“I would love to help, I just don’t think I will be able to find the time”
“Boy what I would do if only I had more time”
Do any of these statements ring true for you? Do you remember speaking one or more of these statements? Maybe it wasn’t the exact phrasing but something similar. I definitely have said these and heard these many times. And I must confess, when the “time” was there I did absolutely nothing to be productive with this “found” time.
If you can’t relate then this post is likely not for you but maybe you know someone who could benefit from the wisdom of my mistakes – And I have made a lot of mistakes with my time. Here are a few of the rationalizations I have used to squander my time:
1. I want to rest my mind so I just want to do something that doesn’t require me to think
2. It will only take me about 10 minutes, I am going to run into this store for a quick minute
3. I have a few minutes to spare, I’ll just play a few minutes of this game
One of the common themes you will find in my excuses (cause that is really what they were) is the four letter word JUST. That word is so deceiving that I am adding it to my list of words that are not allowed in use at my house. So what does the word JUST really mean? It means – Procrastination! And we know that Edward Young was right when he said, “Procrastination is the thief of time.”
Time is something that once it is gone you can’t get back. Thus it is a vital commodity that has to be used in the right manner if you want to make any traction on achieving goals. It is also something that is often mis-used. For this reason, my personal issue for July is productive time management. Some of the strategies I plan to employ toward this effort include the following:
1. Utilize a Things accomplished list – many people keep to do list and so do I. The problem with my list is that it can easily become overwhelming and then I look for ways to temporarily distract myself which then leads to lost time. By using my things accomplished list, I will start tracking my successes which also gives me a boost of motivation. Things Accomplished list is not an original idea of mine, I am sure it came from a distraction session of viewing Pinterest.
2. Airplane mode and wifi off will be the permanent settings on my tablet until I have demonstrable evidence of applying strategy one. Sometimes I get off track but knowing that I have a reward at the end of my labors tends to motivate me. I guess you can say I can be my biggest motivator or distraction.
3. Take my phone everywhere. Ok so this can and should be a no brainer but I have a bad habit of leaving my phone on my desk or bedside table. Then inspiration will hit and the kiddies will be asleep on my lap with no paper and pen in sight. Or someone will give me a great resource or tip I want to research and no phone only a post it. Post it notes and big purses are not a great combination.
So there you have it. My strategies for taking back control of my “time.” Your turn! Do you struggle with using your time productively? What are some strategies you will or are utilizing to regain control?
Til next time,
“Impatience never commanded success” – Edwin H. Chapin
This is absolutely true, always second thought when we tapp onto tht phone
The phone will definitely rob you of time if you aren’t careful
Time management is life and death, time is one thing you can never get back. The simple way to control time is only do the top 3 things that are important to you and only you, the rest are options. Learn to say NO to you and others, for things that do not benefit you. IKTJ
NO can be difficult to say but we need to embrace its use