French Market by Ute Wieczorek-King
“I haven’t stuck to some of my plans this year, but hey, I’m so busy I just didn’t have enough time anyway…” Haven’t we all said this at some point or heard other women say it? When they say “I just don’t have any time”, some may be feeling a little overwhelmed, others may think that their ‘busy-ness’ shows an admirably high level of energy or productivity. However what most are really saying is: “I have other priorities”.
Sadly, it’s a fact of life that we live in a turbo-charged world where most people lead very busy lives! Finding or making time for change and new goals as well as managing work in a more conscious and ‘present’ way – as opposed to the de-energising effects of crisis management- are some of the biggest challenges we face in today’s fast-paced world. We feel under pressure to ‘chase’ time and keep up with it … as if we could in fact overtake it! Oh if only we could run faster…
Often when we set a new goal, whether it’s learning a new skill or simply being more productive and effective, we try to fit more into an already much too short 24 hour day! The problem with that is, that when we fail on some things, our motivation will be short lived and before long any changes or improvements may have been shelved.
J.L. Servan-Schreiber once said “To master one’s time is to gain mastery of oneself.” To help you achieve this, here are four very powerful productivity tips:
- My ‘secret’ and most powerful tip is to schedule a complete STOP! Did I say stop? Yes, stop for just 30 minutes every week, and think deeply about your priorities! Let’s face it- the question you apply to yourself, your work, your work relationships or your business is always the same: “What’s important…right now….this week…this month…and this year?” Bearing in mind that for everything ‘new’ you take on, it may be wise to let something ‘old’ take a back seat for a while.
- ‘Creating’ time for change can only be achieved by blocking out space in your diary for your real priorities. Of course none of this is new at all! But it is about making choices, being proactive and changing how you do things. Being proactive and more effective is preferable to fitting all your activities into the 30 hour day you haven’t got…
- Try to focus on achieving your goals in an energising way. If your actions are just based on discipline and willpower, any possible lack of motivation may stop you from moving forward consistently. Whatever you wish to succeed in, scheduling something positive and energising will help energy flow more naturally. You could work with a colleague or friend, someone who is supportive with a positive outlook, and motivate each other. Give yourself some rewards and celebrate your progress….this is one sure-fire way to increase your motivation.
- Identify and list up all the energy drains that sabotage your success. Some people waste valuable time on activities other people could help with. Why struggle with your weak areas when you could be building on your strengths? Other people procrastinate or are held back by personal problems impacting on their work. What changes do you need to make to help you manage your energy drains? Sometimes even the smallest changes can make a big impact!
What small change are you willing to make right now?
My name is Ute Wieczorek-King and I help busy women to be well connected, visible, effective and profitable in business. You can connect with me via Twitter, the Success Network Community on Linkedin, or Success Network Recipes on Facebook. To sign up to my monthly newsletter, please visit the Success Network website.
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