Getting Control of Your Time

Do you feel guilty about not fulfilling requests made of you? All of us have demands on our time and energy. If you are not in effective control of your time, someone else will rule it for you. Following are some simple techniques to prioritize and organize daily routines.

Reverse the “tomorrow” syndrome. Tomorrow is the busiest day of the week because one puts off what you have time, resources and ability to do today. Instead of pushing current tasks into the mythical “someday”, become a member of the DIN-DIN Club – “Do It Now, Do It Now, Do It Now!”

Quit stewing, start doing. Dread can keep you mired in inertia. Remember the physics principle of “an object in motion remains in motion.” Energy produces energy, so get moving and allow the creative juices to flow.

Understand time management. Everyone is given the same amount of hours each day. Time management is really personal management by knowing that life is about choices and taking control over what you will do next. The ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is a major factor in success and relationships.

Understand the unspoken message of clutter. The English Thesaurus definition of clutter as: (n) mess, litter, disorder, confusion, untidiness and muddle; (v) encumber, strew, cover; with antonyms being space and free. The surplus of litter binds one to a poverty mentality. Unfinished projects haunt of past failures. Clutter keeps you entangled in yesterday and hampers moving into the future. How can anything new come in when there is no space? Tame your time by having less stuff to muddle through.

Set Clutter Boundaries. Decide in advance how long something will be kept, such as: magazines will be recycled after six months and newspapers after three days. Establish a one-in-one-out rule; when something new comes in, an older, like object has to go. This applies to activities as well as tangible items. Determine, “Do I absolutely love it?” If so, make room; if not, it’s a goner.

Get Emotionally Honest. Yes, you have gifts and talents to bless the universe, and, yes, there are certain things needed for success. However, how much is reality and how much is addictive? How much is helpful and how much is ego-boosting? How many shoes can you wear? How many committees can you chair? How much money do you need? How are you spending frivolously? Do you know the difference in idle time and leisure time? How often do you play with your kids? How frequently do you listen to your spouse? How much do you need to do vs. want to do? How many of your obligations are self-imposed?

A helpful tool in getting control of your time is to develop a personal mantra such as “Not helpful”, “Not needed”, or “Just say ‘No’”. Use this rhythm as needed when scheduling or shopping. My personal one is, “I’m tired of cute.” It works.

Let's start a dialogue. Give me input on how these ideas are helping you and/or share your favorite way to get control of your time.