With the festive season almost upon us and as busyness and to-do lists seem to grow, time can begin to seem even more of a commodity than it usually is. Nowadays we're all vying for more of it anyway - a function of our increasingly busy worlds and schedules ever so full of things to attend to. And as you now also look for the space to participate in those merry or silly season's activities - from shopping to dining to parties and more - you'll want it to be about the love and joy reminisce of this period, and not just another box to tick.
Toward juggling the many activities and maintaining a sense of balance, here are 5 Quick Tips on how you can begin enjoying greater effectiveness.
• Get all your ‘things to do' down on paper. Having things whirling around in your head and not on paper creates mental clutter, uses valuable mind-space, and gives you the impression that there is more to do than there really is. When you get everything down on paper, it helps you to gain a better perspective of what's ahead of you and allows you to plan for its actioning better. And remember that while it's fine to have a to-do list, what isn't so fine, is not doing any of the doing, if you get my drift. So be wise and follow through too 😉
• Keep a great planner system. One of the ways that you can enormously increase your personal effectiveness is to write everything you agree to do down in a Planner, at the time of promising to do it. This again means less mental clutter and the ability to relax in the knowledge that you won't be forgetting any promises or agreements made.
• Take time to look at the big picture and identify your key ‘blocks of time'. Be sure to include activities for your ongoing mental and physical wellbeing, such as exercise and relaxation, and also time with those who are most important to you. See where these blocks of time can fit into your week and create a schedule. Stick to it and keep it real. This may mean being flexible enough to move things around appropriately, which is occasionally something we all have to do.
• Stay on top of your paperwork and other ongoing jobs in your work and home. Remember a little at a time goes a long way and saves you from the dreaded task of hours spent wading through tax receipts, unopened mail, overflowing laundry and so on.
• Cultivate a bias toward action. What do I mean by this? Notice where you are procrastinating, and take immediate action. It takes a lot more energy to procrastinate than it does to actually get in there and get started. Remind yourself of this constantly. The best way to overcome procrastination is to break the task down into manageable bite-sized chunks, and to commit to taking the very first step. Oftentimes imagining eating the entire pie is daunting, but when you think of it in pieces, you can see your way to taking that first bite.
'Don't count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count'