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Time’s a Wasting! What are you doing with it?

Written by: Sue Lindgren Hawkes

Article Overview: You can't "manage" time. So, how can you be more effective with it if you aren't managing it> Have you ever looked at your “to do” list and felt that aching drop in the pit of your stomach? And it’s usually accompanied by thoughts like, “Right, like I’ll ever get to the bottom of the list,” or, “Wow, it’s overwhelming and I have no time for anything that matters to ME.”

Time’s a Wasting! What are you doing with it?

Have you ever looked at your “to do” list and felt that aching drop in the pit of your stomach? And it’s usually accompanied by thoughts like, “Right, like I’ll ever get to the bottom of the list,” or, “Wow, it’s overwhelming and I have no time for anything that matters to ME.”

Now, imagine instead ending your work day thinking, “YESS! This was a great day1 I did what was most important and now I get to go home and relax.” If you can’t remember the last time you thought like that (or if you never have), then read on. (Trust me - it’s worth your time.)

What does the phrase “time management” really mean? Think about it. You can’t manage time because it’s just a measurement we created to coordinate promises, actions and events, and how do you “manage” a measurement?

A more significant question is, how do you become more effective with your time? (since you aren’t managing it).

Here’s the secret - you can only manage the commitments you’ve made

And what are you committed to? It is really quite easy to tell – it’s what you spend time doing. Not what you say is important, but what you actually do. These are the promises, actions and events to which you have said “yes” whether you really meant to or not.

You say your kids are a priority? How much time do you spend with them? Be honest now - but without the guilt. I bet it’s not as much as you believe is important for them or for you.

But, I can hear you saying, “I have tons of stuff to do every day! And I barely get everything done as it is. How can I squeeze in more time for… (fill in the blank)?”

Altering your commitments takes work, I know. But you can do it. Start with recognizing that you create your calendar. Really - no one but you. And this means you can alter it at will. Stop sputtering – you know it’s true. The beauty of this is that once you have accepted that you aren’t a victim of your calendar, you can begin to shift things so that your time spent more closely matches your values.

24-7 is all any of us has. That’s it. How you spend it is truly up to you.

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Article Tags: bottom of the list, commitments, day1, guilt, last time, measurement, phrase, priority, promises, stomach, time management



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