Vision In Purpose Coaching and Training

Mary wakes up in the morning with a long list of things to do. She starts breakfast by placing a couple of eggs in a pot to boil, hurries to run her bath water, turns on her computer to read and reply to a couple of emails.   While she’s there she decides that she might as well open another browser and pay a couple of bills. Then, she smells something burning and remembers she started boiling eggs.

She shuts off the stove and hears water… Oh My!  She runs to find the tub has overflowed and spends the next 30 minutes cleaning up the mess.  Now she’s even further behind than she thought.

Can you see yourself in this woman? Add children, getting ready for work or any number of other variables and I am sure it’s like walking through a fun house (which isn’t so fun), and looking in a fun house mirror with all of its distortions.

Sometimes in our quest to squeeze more out of our time, we end up wasting it. Like Mary, we can find ourselves spending precious time fixing the mess we made in our attempt to create unproductive shortcuts.

Here are 3 common misconceptions we have about time and how to fix them to be more effective in how we spend it:

I can control time.  We’re all given the same 24 hours a day. You didn’t create it so you can’t do anything with it. You can’t save it, you can’t invest it, or any of those things. Controlling time is all about controlling yourself.   Think about it, that is really the only thing you CAN control.

Here’s a better way: Even daylight savings can’t help us if we don’t know how to make the most of every moment. Being disciplined in our own efforts can help us be more productive. We can trick time into giving us more, we just have learn how by managing ourselves to accomplish more with the time we are given. Set a schedule for yourself and discipline yourself to stick to it.

If I work harder I’ll get more done.

When you work harder you end up doing less because now you have totally drained yourself physically, mentally, emotionally.

A lot of times, we push ourselves thinking “Yeah, if I just push myself a little bit more, I’ll get more done”. But, in the long run you find that you get less done because your energy is just not there. Your focus is just not there. When you don’t have focus and you don’t have the mental clarity, physical energy, emotional or mental energy, you end up not doing much of anything. What’s even scarier is that your body can crash and you’ll experience “burnout”. When that happens then you end up spending more time recovering and it takes you longer to get back to work.

Here’s a better way: Don’t try to be superwoman. Keep a steady pace and don’t try to cram everything in at once. Learn how to turn work off and find time to relax and do things you enjoy. Once you restore and replenish your energy, you can jump back in. You will be amazed at how much better you’ll feel and how much more you can accomplish.

And, now the biggie…

I can multi-task to get more done.

Women are for this one, and, with all the things we have on our plate, we do it without thought (or at least try). When you think, “Wow, If I just do a lot of different things at the same time, I’ll get more done”, that’s definitely a misconception. Multi-tasking scatters your energy and you actually end up doing just the opposite. It’s like being the jack of trades and the master of absolutely none. And, you don’t really move yourself forward because your energy is too scattered. Remember, Mary, in the example above?  That’s an example of multi-tasking at its worst!!

Here’s a better way: Commit to focus on completing one task at a time. Give yourself deadlines for completing certain tasks before moving on to the next. That way, instead of having a bunch of half completed items, you can feel good knowing a good portion of them are 100% done. Your mind, energy and sanity will thank you for it.

These misconceptions actually cost you more time in the end. So, work smart by incorporating these healthy fixes to managing yourself and spending your time.

Do you have a Funny Story about a Time Shortcut Gone Bad, Like the One at the Beginning of This Article?

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