Very few of us would say we have enough time during the day to finish everything we need or want to do. Those who come closest to that goal are probably masters of time management, a skill that can be learned beginning in childhood (see page 33).
But no matter how long you’ve excelled at that skill, or haven’t, we all come to a point every now and again when we must reassess our schedules plus figure out what we’re doing with whatever unscheduled time we have left over.
Maybe you’re working on projects until 1 a.m. most nights because you procrastinate during the day. Or you get to bed at a reasonable hour but can’t sleep because you’re thinking about everything you didn’t manage to accomplish. Or you’re hoping to avoid such moments of crisis.
It’s time to start asking yourself some questions:
- Do I enjoy what I’m doing, most of the time?
- What parts of my life are thriving, and which parts are dying? Are there parts I should let go; are any lapsing on their own?
- Do I spend my day on tasks that support myself, my family, my values and my well-being? Do I have any time available for things that don’t?
- Do I need to establish a morning and/or evening ritual to guarantee I have a few moments to myself during the day?
- When do I begin to get tired in the evening? Does this happen hours before my usual bedtime?
- Do I usually have more than three to five major tasks to complete each day? If so, can I get some things off my plate?
- Do I work through my lunch break? How can I shift some things around so I don’t have to?
- Am I committed to some projects, causes or relationships I will never have enough time to properly support?
- Am I saying “yes” to more requests than I can reasonably handle?
Julie Kahn | Photo: Blushing Cactus Photography