Time on my mind

Who has the time? I guess it depends who you talk to.... but the professionals, stay-at-home parents, businesspeople and university students I work with say it is almost impossible to properly carve out time for work, family, school, exercise, social time and treasured private time.

At the end of the day or week, there seems to be still so much left undone. People are under pressure to produce, deliver, win, sell, heal, fix and tweet! 

The chronic sense of falling behind and being late, the rushing here and there, the missing sense of satisfaction and pride from having done something well, not to mention the endless interruptions and distractions, are leaving people tired, stressed and frustrated.

Being productive, accomplished, successful, competent and fulfilled comes at a high cost.

During the early years of working and raising children, I was preoccupied with how to save time.  The second the children were out the door in the morning for school, I tore through the chores of running a home. I prided myself on being efficient and fast. I saw time as a valuable commodity and I managed it carefully.

The complexities and frustrations of the TIME PROBLEM are widely felt. Striking a perfect balance seems out of reach and there is no single fix.

The way we manage our time is shaped by many influences:

• personal ideas about time and need for personal time
  
• routines, habits, interests and hobbies 
  
• criteria we use to measure success or productivity
  
• personal and professional obligations 
• health status
  
• energy levels, ability to focus and concentrate
  
• skill-sets for time management - planning, prioritizing, scheduling, delegating, estimating, sticking to the plan
  
• ability to say NO to demands and needs of others
  
• perfectionism and procrastination traits
  

Here's my simplistic take on how you can better protect and manage your time:

• Really think about how you currently spend your time and then, decide what you want to do about it
• Challenge anything that is wasting your time, effort and offering very little return on your investment (see blog on ROI)
• Make a few choices and commit yourself to what really matters

Or, you can always call me for coaching!

Keep you posted,
Coach Minda