Time Management

 

“We cannot live in the past;

it is gone. Nor can we live

in the future; it is forever

beyond our grasp. We can

live only in the present.

-S.N. Goenka

 Most time management approaches cover the importance of productivity in the workplace. However, it is essential to manage time that allows us enjoyment, balance and also self-enhancement. “Burnout” refers to working beyond exhaustion from required overload and when demands provide little joy. Two antidotes can help cure burnout such as taking a vacation to restore our sanity and/or develop a plan that balances work, relationships, and play. The things we want to do are equally as important as the things we have to do. The former promotes joy, growth, life satisfaction and our well-being and there is nothing wrong with well-defined career goals. Time management can unleash more life satisfaction.

    We can start by making the determination about our life goals. What is our personal definition of success? What are our retirement goals? Where do I want to be in five years, ten years and more? What would I like to see myself doing? Perhaps we want to start a business or work for a business that meets our interests. Exploring the outdoors may be one of our life goals. We may want to live in a warmer climate or enjoy the four seasons. Many options are available to us.

    A balance check is in order to see if our goals provide balance. We need to take care of our physical health such as our weight, fitness, rest, eating and medical care. Living in an area without suitable medical care may not be a suitable option. Are we going to meet our personal needs? Do we have time or the availability to take care of our spiritual and character development, emotional health or acquire the possessions we want. Do we have an adequate amount of family, friends and groups we need to aspire to meet our personal needs? Are we meeting our recreational and professional needs? Some communities may not have a lot of employment opportunities. Since I enjoy spending time in the woods, a community like Washington, D.C. may not work for me. Too much concrete and not enough trees.

    A five-year plan may give us peace if there is preparation. The plan can contain specific goals that are achievable. The plan can consist of the goals, what we can do to achieve the goals, starting dates, and an evaluation process. Did we reach our goals and how did we do? The plan can be broken down to weeks and months. It is also recommended to prepare a daily to do list (Schiraldi, 1999). I prepare my to do list for the next day before I turn in for the evening.

    Other suggestions include prioritizing. The foundation of time management is prioritizing, instead of trying to do everything at once, what is the most important task. We can consider what items will make the most impact. We can rank our to do list by order of importance. Perhaps we have been stressed so we may need to move that walk in the woods to the front of the list.

    Another thing we need to avoid is multitasking. Women had to do that all the time when they were taking care of their homes and children. The women who also had to work outside of the home had a near impossible feat concerning getting things that needed to be accomplished at their homes. Multitasking is what many women have had to do. I had two children and had to work outside the home so I can definitely relate. Research has shown that humans are not good at multitasking. Every time we switch tasks our brain has to refocus.

    We need to eliminate distractions and set boundaries. I am a writer and when I am in a flow the phone ringing can throw off my concentration. If we can, turn off our phones. Setting boundaries may be a little more difficult but if we can, do so. We need to put limits on how much people can call us and not be available 24/7. We need our down times. It may also be useful to get the hardest tasks done first or when we are at our best. Morning may be the best time for some of us and not for others. Set a schedule that is in our best interest and meets our ultimate energy levels.

     We may be faced with the following setbacks:

·         Trying to fit a double workload into a single day more than once a week.

·         Having difficulty saying no to a request for our time.

·         Our goals and aspirations are unrealistic.

·         We have a tendency to procrastinate.

·         We daydream often or watch to much television.

·         Own a variety of organizers or none.

·         Our day may be filled with matters that need our immediate attention.

·         We struggle with symptoms of perfectionism.

·         We use too many sticky notes.

·         We have a tendency to lose things.

·         We enjoy starting projects, but have difficulty finishing them (Adams, 2001).

    We can discover the root of the problem when we explore the amount of obstacles we checked from the above list. For example if we have a habit of losing our keys, place our keys in one place all the time so we know where to locate them.     

    We can start by tracking our daily activities by keeping a record of each activity we participate in within a 24-hour period of time. This will take some time, but it is an easy way to take a good look at our time habits. We can complete a weekly priority list of things we need to accomplish such as laundry, cleaning, time at our workplace outside of the home, and other necessary responsibilities. We can break our list down to daily activities we need to accomplish and prioritize the activities (Adams, 2001). 

    Time management can be crucial when we need to take care of ourselves physically and emotionally. Dealing with unresolved trauma calls for time to meditate, do relaxation techniques and enjoy pleasurable activities. We most definitely need to find a balance between work and play when working on our recovery. Many of us also find the need to feel productive and discover our life purpose.