Time - making the most of it!

Many of you know that as a child I was extremely organized.  My friends and family would make fun of me because as early as elementary school, I had my own files and would file notes from friends according to the person who wrote them to me.  (Doesn’t everyone do that?) 

Since organization was my gift and what filled my soul (truly), it came as a big surprise a few years ago when my office was a total disaster!  I couldn’t find anything I needed, let alone find it within seconds like I can now. 

As my life changed and I became a wife and a mom, yet remained a working professional, a volunteer, a family member, and a friend, I realized – something’s gotta give!  I like being organized.  I can be more creative and spontaneous when I am organized.  But I cannot be everything to everyone and still be organized. 

How do we decide what is important?  Could the reason that we are unorganized be because we are trying to do too much everyday?  With so many opportunities, how do we make sure that we are making the most of our time? 

Here are some suggestions:

Hire a coach.  One of the best things I ever did was hire a professional coach.  Just as athletes need someone to guide their progress to the big game, a coach can help you clarify your business and life goals, cheer for you when you succeed, and pick you up when you flop.  With all of the possible things I can do in my life and my business, mine guides me to deciding which ones are congruent with who I am and who I want to be.  My coach is Diane Winn: www.dianewinn.com.  Click here http://www.coachfederation.org/ICF/ to find a coach in your area. 

 Free up your day.  Once you have determined your goals (write a book, be a more organized person in 2006, etc.), make sure that you have allotted time in your schedule to complete it.  If your schedule is overbooked, you are “telling the universe” that you are not open to these things coming into your life and will not accomplish your goals.  (A great book on this subject is The Law of Attraction by Michael Losier.)  If you want to get organized, you absolutely have to have enough free time built into your day to maintain your systems.

 Set aside time.  Do you have friends or colleagues who share their goals with you, but in the very next breath tell you they are too busy to achieve them?  We can’t make more time in a day, but there is a way to find more quality time during the day.

 Use the 80/20 rule.  The 80/20 rule states that 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts.  If 20% of an 8 hour day is 96 minutes, take 96 minutes of each day to be “on” and work towards accomplishing your personal goals.

Also, make sure that you find your best time of the day to accomplish your important goals.  I am an early morning person so beginning projects at 5 or 6am is ideal.  My husband, on the other hand, finds his most creative time of day between 10pm to 2am.  You know yourself best - pick your best time of day and put it on your calendar and stick to it. 

Look at your schedule and see how you spend your time.  If you are keeping busy with things that you don’t like to do, or that aren’t consistent with who you are and who you want to be, you will eventually burn out. To accomplish big goals, they need to become a big priority in your life.