Stop Burning the Candle at Both Ends

 

I see it everywhere I go. Haggard managers, frantic executives, shell-shocked administrative staff. Today’s corporate world seems to run on deadlines, adrenalin, pots of coffer (or Red Bull) and more than a little touch of desperation. The pressure to get things done faster and better than everyone else can have a crushing impact on our mental and physical health. But, what are we to do? On one hand, speed and efficiency translates into higher and faster profits. On the other hand, grinding time pressure can end up driving a once enthusiastic staff straight into burnout.

The first thing you have to do is stop burning the candle at both ends

I mean stop trying to cram too many activities into your schedule or the schedules of those around you. The space time continuum is limited for a reason – to try to keep you from doing everything at once. Even if you could get everything done – which you can’t – what use is it if you too exhausted and burned out to enjoy the fruit of your labors? A wise executive will also see that driving his staff to keep up with unreasonable schedules and workloads will eventually lead to mistakes, poor productivity and resignations. So, begin by setting realistic expectations about what you can accomplish in any given day or week. If you are a manager, adjust your expectations regarding what you require your staff to accomplish, too.

Then, identify your highest priorities

Don’t start with something work-related. If your highest priorities are work-related, go sit under a tree somewhere until you can figure out how to get a life. Work is not Life; it is only what we do to help us underwrite some of the things we would like to do with our lives. If your highest priorities don’t have something to do with family, friendships, personal and spiritual growth, and ways that you can help the world around you be a little better for yourself and others in your community, it is time for you to get out of the office for a while. Your life goals should reflect your true "A" priorities; the ones you look forward to, treasure and pursue with enthusiasm and faith.

Now, on to the "B" priorities

"B" priorities are those things you do every day that contribute in some way to moving you closer to your "A" priorities. Here is where most of our work responsibilities must be addressed, as well as those tasks that demand our attention at home or in social or service settings. This sector can quickly become cluttered with all sorts of useless, distracting stuff. The only things that should be on this list are the things that support the achievement of something on your list of "A" priorities. Carefully evaluate activities on your list and eliminate those things that divert any energy and attention to your high-value goals.

Not everything is an emergency

This is one of the biggest issues of time management. Our culture values speed, drama and anything that creates adrenalin. The bigger the emergency the more adrenalin that gets generated for everybody involved. Most emergencies are simply ways to say, "Look at me and how important I am." Yes, I understand that there are genuine emergencies which do require an immediate response, and they are actually pretty easy to recognize. However, unless something is directly connected to helping you accomplish something on your "A" or "B" lists, consider postponing it or delegating it to someone else. One of my favorite time management proverbs goes like this: "A failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."

Here is a time management clue

Time management is not about finding ways to get more done in less time (there is that space time continuum thing again). Instead, it is about finding the smartest, healthiest most satisfying way to use the same 24 hours that God has given to each of us every day. Stop trying to do everything; first, make sure there is room to do the things that are most important to you. If there is time leftover to do other things after that without making yourself or other people sick, then congratulations, you’re making progress.

 

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June Time Management Tip – How About a Not To Do List?

Creating a to do list is one of the most cherished principles of time management. It is a good idea, but have you ever thought about creating a "not to do" list? Most of us have developed plenty of bad time management habits over the years. We take too many phone calls, we surf the net too much, we linger by the water cooler a little too long, we say "yes" a little too quickly when someone asks us to take on an extra responsibility. All of these things steal from our finite supply of precious minutes, and they can keep us from getting valuable things done. Make a not to do list this week, and include all the things that are eating up your ability to be efficient. Post it where you can see it often, and use it to keep yourself honest. A lot of the time we blame others for stealing our time, but the truth is we do a pretty good job of wasting time without help from anyone else!