Many people struggle with time management issues. Trying to fit more to do’s into the same 24 hours per day simply increases your level of stress. When stress increases it can become even more difficult to stay focused on what is on the to do list.
Instead of managing time, a better solution is to improve life management. One method to better life management is evaluating your tolerations and eliminating them.
What are you tolerating in your life? Before you can move forward and make lasting changes in your life you must clean up the messes you have created in the past. Clearing these messes will allow space for energy and new opportunities to enter.
There are five areas to clear.
1. Health & Fitness
Make a thorough evaluation of your well being. Get a physical and go to the dentist. Make certain that you are in good health. Identify those habits you want to change. Examples may be adding something like drinking more water every day, or deleting something from your life like white bread.
2. Financial Affairs
As you plan your goals you want to include a plan for savings, debt reduction, investments, a six-month reserve, creating a budget and increasing income. Your first step may be to schedule an appointment with a financial planner or send for a copy of your credit report. Or you may need to take baby steps at first, such as opening a savings account and making small regular deposits.
3. Relationships
You will be amazed at how much focus and energy you are losing in relationships with key people in your life. You may be spending time with people who do not support you. Or worse, who actually drain your energy.
4. Environment
Your environment should support your specific requirements and needs. Make it peaceful, beautiful, comfortable, and energizing. Free of clutter.
5. Personal Structure
This is the area where you organize yourself and your life. This includes everything from how you manage your appearance, your personal support staff to handling personal errands.
Every action you take in your personal or business life, from helping a colleague with a project, to running a marathon, to cleaning out the car, every action takes energy. So does every action you do not take. Such as putting up with a constant pain in your shoulder or ignoring a large stack of paper on the corner of your desk. Not following through will drain your energy every day you neglect it. Procrastinating about cleaning out the car or avoiding a conflict at the office uses up energy you could be applying to the real priorities in your life.
Make a list of all the things you are tolerating in each area of your life. Everything from a toothache to the broken drawstring on your bedroom blinds. Keep the list handy so that you can add to it as you think of other things you are tolerating. Below is a list of suggestions to help you get started.
- Poor haircut
- Cluttered closets
- Negative friend
- Too much television
- Disorganized work space
- Unaddressed conflict
- Systems not in place
- Not enough sleep
- Lack of stimulating personal interests
- Unread books
A good mantra to adopt: Do It, Hire It, Chuck It.
This method can take time to fully implement but the results are well worth it. As you begin to eliminate the clutter, many of your time management issues will resolve themselves. Your mind will become clear and your energy level increases allowing you to accomplish what you wish in the time you have available. Manage your life and time will take care of itself.
 |
