TIME is Precious

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