TIME. We
all have 24 hours in a day. Time is THE most precious commodity we have each
day. AND time can also be THE most frustrating and stressful part of our lives.
This is the time of year where school is almost out, all
the end-of-the year activities pile up, there are graduations to prepare for,
some summer sports are starting with a new set of juggling demands, and this
may also be a busy time at work on top of everything else. Yet, when we think
about it, is there really any slower time? There always seems to be something.
I remember my principal would often reference the spinning
of the plates on a stick seen at the circus as a visual of all the demands we
each have “on our plate.” Doesn’t it feel that way at times? One plate is the
job, there’s a plate for each child, our spouse/relationship is another plate,
church demands, physical needs eg working out, the house, the yard, special
events eg birthdays/weddings, maintaining the house, meals, grocery shopping, laundry
etc. etc. etc. Whew! I’m tired already.
Picture each of the above “plates’ spinning and you
running between the plates trying to keep them all spinning. Isn’t that what it
feels like sometimes? And then we wonder why we start to have some of the plates
crash. We’re frustrated that we can’t get everything done that we need to get
done. We may even get so overwhelmed that we shut down.
How can some people seem to get so much more done in a day
than others? I would propose there are some common characteristics with those
people. They are usually disciplined with their time, they pre-plan and prepare
in advance, they keep not only a calendar but put things on the calendar when
they need to DO something, they are more realistic on what they can reasonably
get done, things are organized in their home/office, and they seem to also be
able to break down tasks into smaller pieces.
I can hear some of you right now with all your reasons and
excuses. “I’ve never been organized. I work long hours and have 2, 3+ kids. I’m
just not a planner. My mom/dad was never organized so I don’t know how to be
either. I’ve tried before, but I’ve never been successful.”
If you like your life always being on reaction mode,
always doing things last minute, forgetting events, looking around and seeing
all that needs to be done and giving up before you’ve even started to deal with
it then maybe these ideas aren’t for you and you can stop reading now.
If you want to begin making some changes, first and
foremost understand this is a process, and it’s all about changing habits which
does take time and consistency. If possible, find someone who is willing to
help you that already has accomplished what you want to accomplish. It’s much
more fun to have someone helping you and giving you ideas and suggestions as
you begin.
Look around and decide what is THE top priority for you
right now. It could be getting your house, garage, office (name your space) organized
so that you can find things, and everything has a place making it easier to
find things. That can be a HUGE top priority in and of itself. That means then
you must break this down into smaller parts and take one area at a time.
Take the
approach of…I CAN
do this! It will feel fantastic when I see results! My Mindset is I CAN do this. Commit to making changes in your life and your family’s life. If
you have a family, involve them in your efforts. Keep them informed about what
some of the changes are going to be and involve their help when appropriate.
Set a start date
and a date when you want to have
something completed. This is
critical! Hold yourself accountable. Purchase or gather together, ahead of time, anything you need to get
started. It could be something as simple as having four bags or boxes: one for
recycling, one for trash, one for keep/organize further, one for donations. Set
yourself up for success from the very beginning.
A few
thoughts as you begin:
1.
Make your start and ending time reasonable.
You want to be successful. Smaller projects such as setting up a filing system
for your bills may only take a couple hours. A larger project may mean
committing to a couple days or a couple hours each week for a month. Be
realistic without procrastinating.
2.
Prioritize what’s the most important area(s)
that will make a difference for you and your family or you and your colleagues.
3.
Depending on the project, be sure to have all
the supplies needed to accomplish the project BEFORE you start.
4.
Take one step at a time and celebrate when
something is accomplished!
You will find, as you move
forward, that you are gaining more quality time in your day. You have more time
for the fun things you want to do. You will realize how much time has been
wasted, in the past, just trying to find things or how stressful life has been
due to a lack of things being organized.
I look forward to hearing
your project and how you’re proceeding. I’ve been fortunate to have several
mentors and am willing to pass along ideas if you need help. Message me at maketraveleasy@gmail.com and
we can talk further.
Book
Title: Attitude is Everything by Jeff Keller
Quote: “For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.” Benjamin
Franklin
