The pace of daily life, the demands of work and, on the other hand, the limited time available can lead to an accumulation of unfulfilled tasks and cause considerable stress. The days seem to be getting shorter and the liabilities are getting bigger. Is that really the case? Doing the right things at the right time is the art of time management, not doing everything.It sounds quite logical and straightforward, but in practice, matters are much more complicated.
When there are too many tasks and responsibilities, stress begins to emerge. We start to procrastinate (or maybe we have too many obligations and tasks), mistakes occur, and we run out of time for relationships that are the foundation for a happy life. To a large extent, stress is brought about by unfinished things that have either been delayed or unfinished. The fact is that we all have the same time every day, the same 24 hours. The only difference between us is how effectively we spend our time.
As we are involved in social systems, it is never just us who set the pace and set our tasks. However, we are not completely powerless when creating our schedule and energy input.
And again, we can go back to the beginning. The first step to successful time management is prioritizing tasks and commitments. However, when our obligations are related to other people, the priority of individual tasks can be quite vague and difficult to determine. This is one of the reasons that causes stress. When the priority of tasks is unclear, each individual must establish communication to obtain information on the objective priority of each task. At the same time, we have to share our reservations about the time limits, time invested, and energy that we have.
As a coach, I often encounter this type of client stress and help coach clients to overcome it more easily.
Certainly, you can ease many dilemmas by following the four guidelines of good time management.
What can I do now?
The saying is: “what you can do today, don’t procrastinate until tomorrow” is the ultimate truth. Because of our comfort zone orientation approach, we first do the tasks that are easiest, most fun, or routine. Those who take more time and energy are most often procrastinated. So try to reverse the order and first do the things that are the hardest and most extensive. Keep easier and more enjoyable tasks on hand for when motivation and concentration begin to wane.
Why am I doing this?
As I mentioned, the key to successfully managing time is to do the right things. Ask yourself why you are performing the tasks. And if you think the task is not related to your goals, talk to those involved and share your view with them. It may just be that you do not have all the information and this will make you aware of the meaning of the task or will present participants with a new perspective that will lead to the task being dropped or diminished.
What is the purpose of this assignment?
Always have a goal in mind that will give you a source of motivation to complete the task. Later, it also allows you to check whether you have been successful in the task.
How can I do this in the shortest time or with the least energy invested?
Because you want to be the master of your time, every time and energy saving is a step in that direction. Many times, we perform tasks routinely and take more time than would otherwise be necessary. So be creative and efficient in your work.
As a coach, I often find myself dealing with inefficient time management and the associated type of client stress. Most of the time with the client, time management and related stress can be optimized in a few visits. So don’t delay and sign up for a free introductory appointment.
