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Guest post by: Sandy R. Lawrence Become an Author

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Lessons From The Vacation: REAL Time Management Insights

Think of the last time you went on a vacation. You see palm trees. You hear Wwaves gently lapping at the shore. Or maybe, you can't help but hum that tune to a Broadway hit.


Whatever your preferred vacation, aren't you amazed at how much you get done the last few days before you leave? Have you ever noticed how focused you are because you know your departure time is a finite time and there will be consequences if you miss your planned departure.



You decide quickly what things are ‘low’ priority and can wait, you delegate quickly, and you tackle core activities with focus and precision so you can leave for you vacation with a clear conscience.


You are mentally prepared as well, having considered what your dream destination has in store for you, watching the movie in your mind of what you will see and do while you are away.


This is exactly the kind of focus your business (and your personal life) can benefit from the other 51 weeks a year! And guess what? It’s possible to have that 'vacation bound' mind-set.


Such focus begins with assessing what rewards and benefits await you when you finish your work, then being aware of what you can and must complete during ‘work’ blocks of time so that you can be free to fully enjoy 'personal' time.


COMPARTMENTALIZE
If you've flown in the recent years, you know that the larger luggage - the items you won't need until you are at your destination- gets placed in the belly of the plane, while reading material and lighter, smaller items for the journey are welcome in the cabin with you as long as they fit in an overhead bin or under the seat. Why? For your comfort and safety of course.


Being productive during pre-planned blocks of time for work and pleasurable activities can be viewed similarly. When you exercise self-control and pre-plan core business activities(prospecting, follow-up, next-step presentations), you can be 100% "on" while at work, and then 100% at rest and enjoying yourself when you are ‘scheduled’ to be away from work for personal activities. You will be less likely to slip into a cycle of overwork which tends to crowd and bruise every layer of your life- mental, emotional, spiritual and physical.



"Time management is not a peripheral activity or skill.

It is the core skill upon which everything else in life depends." Brian Tracy



Are you A THIEF?
If you don't get your work done because you don't use your time well, you will fall into the trap of stealing personal time. This creates more than just physical and mental exhaustion, but often a values conflict as well. Soon guilt, resentment and loneliness nag you, which can contribute to poor health, affecting both the quality of your work and your relationships. You begin to realize you feel stressed, irritable, depressed most of the time. You may also feel internal pressure to work 7 days a week.


Look at your calendar. Do you have pre-scheduled blocks of time for completing your action plan activities, actual appointments to build future business or to improve value and service? Or are you still only using a 'to do' list for these priorities?


Or worse, are you doing the same things you've done for years or taking whatever business falls your way, including allowing constant interruptions, even during personal time? Do you designate separate work time and personal time blocks in your daily schedule?


Often when we set mini-deadlines (appointments) with ourselves, we accomplish so much more than we ever imagined, just as we often do when we have that departure flight scheduled for vacation.


A good habit to develop is to review your progress mid day. Did you do the things you set out to do before lunch? If not, ask yourself what absolutely, positively needs to be done 'DO or DIE' that afternoon to be true to your Action Plan for your business and your real life. Re-focus and make time to get it done. Move a lower priority task to the next day. Stop boasting about what you are going to do and comparing your plans to others, and get out and DO it - concentrate on working wisely when you are supposed to be working.


One great way to figure out how you really spend your time is to jot down what you did every 15 minutes throughout the day. As you move through the day, write a brief description of what you actually did the last 15 minutes; then review this log at the end of the day, before taking personal or family time. Do this for a week. (Talk about an eye-opener!)


During the daily review, notice what appointments you did not complete, and note the most difficult or highest priority activity still remaining. Assuming it’s not a contingency on a contract or time sensitive, schedule an appointment with yourself for the next day to complete it, preferably, early in the day. Then, be sure to show up with the Nike mindset, ‘Just do it!’


(As a business and life coach, I recommend that clients turn the daily review portion of this assignment into a life-long habit.)


TRAVEL DELAYS
Often activities take longer than intended. For example, you may find doing computer work or paperwork seems to take a whole day. If so, try scheduling a start time and end time for each activity and one block of time in the morning and another later in the day. Exercise self-control with these appointments with the same intensity you have when getting ready for vacation. The truth is, a mini-vacation does await you, in the form of time with friends, family or a favorite past time.



In the case of email, studies have shown productivity actually rises if you don’t read email first thing in the morning, but instead open it after you’ve completed higher priority tasks. Personally, I’m most productive when I begin my day with quiet time: reading scriptures, talking with God (asking Him to order my day, to give me wisdom, and to give me His strength) and counting my blessings and renewing my mind: meditating on what I’m grateful for and reading affirmations.



Being a better steward of time means being pro-active and mindful of how you choose to spend your time. You may find you need to learn boundary-setting scripts to use with yourself or others, or you might need to use an alarm to notify you when that a particular task time is up. Try alarm functions on your PDA/cell phone, database calendar or even the kitchen timer if you work from home.



If you want to experience better business and healthier relationships, practice these time management basics and apply self-control. And if you are a Believer, remember that ‘fruit’ of self-control is a free gift from God, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23.

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