TIME MANAGEMENT
FIRST OFF, I HAVE BEEN A PROCRASTINATOR SINCE AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. IT WASN’T UNTIL I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT I REALIZED I COULDN’T FLY BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS WITHOUT A DAILY ROUTINE. SUCCESS, NO MATTER THE TASK, REQUIRES PROPER PREPARATION. WHETHER FOR ASSIGNMENTS, IMPORTANT TESTS, OR DAILY EFFICIENCY, TIME MANAGEMENT IS THE MOST CRITICAL FACTOR. OVER THE YEARS IT HAS EBBED AND FLOWED WITH NEW LIFE FOCUSES AND ADVENTURES, BUT HAS ALWAYS REMAINED THE KEY TO MY UPMOST SUCCESS. I CREDIT MY DAILY ROUTINE WITH IMPROVING MY OVERALL PROFICIENCY.
SITUATIONS THAT SHAPED ME:
SCENARIO ONE
FLASHBACK, TO THE EARLY YEARS IN COLLEGE, I WAS A BRIGHT EYED FRESHMAN READY TO TAKE ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF LIFE. I WAS ACCUSTOMED TO HAVING SOME ROUTINE, BUT COLLEGE WAS A WHOLE NEW JOURNEY THAT I WAS ABOUT TO EMBARK ON. ON THE FIRST DAY OF COLLEGE ORIENTATION OUR PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR STATED, WE WOULD HAVE A TERM PAPER DUE AT WINTER BREAK. SHE INSISTED THAT WE NOT DILLY DALLY AS OTHER ASSIGNMENTS WOULD COME ALONG, AND WE DIDN’T WANT TO PUT THIS OFF. OUR PAPER WAS 60% OF OUR FINAL GRADE. LIKE THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS, TIME PASSED, AND WHEN DECEMBER 1ST ROLLED AROUND PANIC MODE SET IN. I DID EXACTLY WHAT THE TEACHER STATED NOT TO DO. I LET TIME GET AWAY AND FOUND MYSELF IN A MAD DASH TO THE LIBRARY. THIS IS WHERE I SPENT THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS RESEARCHING, BRAINSTORMING, AND OUTLINING AN “A” WORTHY PAPER. I COULDN’T LET MY TIME MISMANAGEMENT KEEP ME FROM PASSING ONE OF MY FAVORITE COLLEGE COURSES.
AS THE DAYS FLEW BY I WAS ABLE TO END THE WEEK WITH A ROUGH DRAFT THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO POLISH AND TWEAK TILL BY THE EARLY SUBMISSION DEADLINE. YES, I SAID EARLY SUBMISSION DEADLINE. IF WE TURNED IN OUR PAPER ONE WEEK AHEAD OF TIME WE GOT 20 EXTRA POINTS ADDED TO OUR FINAL TERM PAPER GRADE. DUE TO WAITING UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE I WAS GOING TO NEED ALL THE HELP IN THE GRADING DEPARTMENT I COULD GET. AS THE DAYS PASSED MY CAFFEINE HIGH AND LACK OF SLEEP STARTED TO WEAR ON MY BRAIN FUNCTION. I REALIZED IN THAT MOMENT THAT I NEVER WANTED TO PROCRASTINATE AGAIN . COLLEGE REQUIRED A MORE DETAILED APPROACH, IF I TRULY WANTED TO EXCEL. I CAME THROUGH CLUTCH AND RECEIVED AN EXCELLENT RATING FROM MY TEACHER AND SHE EVEN SAVED MY PAPER AS AN EXAMPLE FOR NEXT YEARS CROP OF FRESHMEN. I MAY HAVE SKID BY THE SKIN OF MY CHEEKS ON THAT ONE, BUT KNEW THAT WASN’T HOW I WANTED TO SPEND THE REST OF MY COLLEGE CAREER.
SCENARIO TWO
AFTER GRADUATING COLLEGE I BEGAN MY CAREER AS A PARALEGAL. IT WAS NOW MY JOB DUTY TO SCHEDULE AND MANAGE APPOINTMENTS, AS WELL AS HAVE ALL DOCUMENTATION COMPLETED BY STRICT DEADLINES. WITHOUT A SCHEDULE ORIENTED WORK FLOW , OUR OFFICE COULD NOT FUNCTION LIKE A WELL OILED MACHINE. WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH TASKS AND HANDLE OUR BUSINESS IN A TIMELY FASHION. WHEN I WAS HIRED, MY DESK WAS A SEA OF MISMANAGED PAPERWORK AND AN OVER CROWDED SCHEDULE THAT WAS AN ERROR TRAP. I DILIGENTLY WORKED OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS TO REARRANGE OUR PRIORITIES IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE. WE QUICKLY SAW SUCCESS, BY HAVING AN ORGANIZED ROUTINE. INITIALLY, THE DAYS WERE LONGER BUT WE QUICKLY OBTAINED A LOW STRESS WORK FLOW. OUR OFFICE MORALE IMPROVED, AS WE ALL OPERATED UNDER LESS STRESS, AND DOMINATED DEADLINES. I TOOK TREMENDOUS PRIDE IN HAVING MY BOSS PREPARED FOR BEFORE THE DUE DATE. I WAS CONFIDENT UPON LEAVING THAT THE MY REPLACEMENT WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE STEPS WE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED AS A TEAM.
SCENARIO THREE
PRESENTLY I AM LEARNING TO BE A BUSINESS OWNER. I’M A WIFE, COACH, AND COMPETITIVE ATHLETE. MY LIFE NOW DEMANDS A VERY DETAIL ORIENTED SCHEDULE. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE BECAME MORE OBSESSED WITH ORDER AND FUNCTION THAN I EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE. I WENT FROM MAKING DECISIONS ON THE RUN TO PLANNING OUT THINGS MONTHS IN ADVANCE. I LITERALLY HAVE GROWN TO HATE SCHEDULE CHANGES, ESPECIALLY AT THE LAST MINUTE. I’M WHAT YOU WOULD CALL A CREATURE OF SCHEDULED HABIT. I KNOW PEOPLE SAY THAT ROUTINE IS THE ENEMY, BUT I TOTALLY THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON. I HAVE FOUND THAT OVER THE YEARS HAVING A ROUTINE IN PLACE AIDS ME IN ACCOMPLISHING MORE.
MY DAILY ROUTINE PROVIDES THE STRUCTURE FOR GETTING SHIT DONE. SINCE BECOMING THE OWNER/OPERATIONS MANAGER OF DAILY GRYNDE I HAVE HAD TO STEP UP MY GAME. IF I GET OFF OF TASK IT IS A HIGHWAY TO A DANGER ZONE. I MEAN THAT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. I MAY START OUT THE DAY WITH CLEANING THE GYM, BUT START LISTENING TO A PODCAST AND LOSE TRACK OF TIME. IN THIS LINE OF BUSINESS LETS BE HONEST YOU HAVE TO STEADILY STAY GRYNDE-ING. WITH FUNCTIONAL FITNESS GYMS POPPING UP ON EVERY CORNER, I HAVE TO STAY ON POINT. KEEPING A STRUCTURED SCHEDULE INCREASES MY WORK EFFICIENCY AND KEEPS ME MENTALLY IN THE GAME.
TOOLS I USE FOR TIME MANAGEMENT
THROUGH THE YEARS I HAVE FOUND WHAT WORKS BEST FOR ME ARE THE FOLLOWING. I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE MAY NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE, BUT TRYING THEM OUT WILL ONLY AID IN EFFORTS OF IMPROVING YOUR SCHEDULING AND BEING MORE EFFICIENT IN THE LONG RUN.
POWER LIST
CREATING A LISTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY GO TO METHOD. HOWEVER, KNOWING HOW TO PROPERLY WRITE A LIST WILL LEAD TO BETTER OVERALL SUCCESSES. I RECENTLY CAME ACROSS AN ARTICLE FROM MARCH OF 2017. THE HEADLINE STATED, MAKE GROWTH INEVITABLE. WHO DOESN’T WANT TO GROW? STAYING ON TRACK AND ON SCHEDULE IS A GUARANTEED TRACK FOR SUCCESS. AFTER DISCOVERING POWER-LISTS MY LIFE WAS FOREVER CHANGED AND IVE BEEN KICKING DAY TO DAY SCHEDULING IN THE ASS. I HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THOSE WEIRDOS WHO WRITE OUT A WEEKLY CHECKLIST OF ITEMS I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH. I ALSO LIKE TO CROSS THEM OUT AS I GO. DID I MENTION THAT I DO THIS IN MY JOURNAL. IM OLD-SCHOOL AND LOVE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO PHYSICALLY WRITE IT DOWN AND BE ABLE TO CHECK IT OFF AS I GO.
- DO YOU EVER SEEM TO REACH YOUR GOALS?
- DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN A SPECIFIC TIME FRAME?
FIRST OFF, WHEN MAKING A TO-DO LIST GO INTO IT WITH THE MINDSET OF, JUST WIN TODAY. DON’T FOCUS ON THE FUTURE KEEP YOUR MIND IN THE PRESENT. IF YOU CAN IMPLEMENT THE NEXT 5 STEPS INTO YOUR TO-DO LIST SET UP I CAN ASSURE YOU THE AMOUNT OF DAILY SUCCESSES WILL FAR OUTWEIGH THE AMOUNT OF LOSSES.
VISUALIZATION
VISUALIZATION IS A CRITICAL SKILL FOR SUCCESS EVEN THOUGH WE ARE NOT ALL PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES MENTALLY PREPARING TO TIME OUR OPPONENTS LEFT HOOK. START OFF BY VISUALIZING YOUR DAY, AND PREPARING FOR THE DISTRACTIONS THAT WILL DISPLAY THEIR UGLY HEAD. VISUALIZING YOUR OBSTACLES WILL AID IN BETTER MANAGING THEM WHEN THEY APPEAR. VISUALIZATION TAKES A POWER LIST TO THE NEXT LEVEL. YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO FULLY GATHER A MENTAL IMAGE OF SAID GOAL. I KNOW IT’S WEIRD, BUT TRUST ME, IT WORKS.
MINDSET
YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO INTO THIS THINKING YOU ARE A BADASS. GO IN WITH THE INTENTION TO WIN THE DAY. SET CHALLENGES EVERYDAY THAT YOU DESIRE TO ATTAIN, AND BEGIN YOUR LIST WITH ASSOCIATED ACTION ITEMS. AS YOU GAIN MOMENTUM WITH SMALL VICTORIES YOU WILL BEGIN CHECKING ITEMS OFF OF YOUR LIST. YOU DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE TO SEE RESULTS IMMEDIATELY. IN TIME THAT WILL FALL INTO PLACE. YOU WILL CREATE A HABIT OF CHECKING ITEMS OFF THE LIST, THEREFORE WINNING EACH DAY AND GAINING TRACTION TOWARDS YOUR ULTIMATE GOALS.
MAINTAINING MY DAILY ROUTINE WITH A POWER-LIST
OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY USED THIS METHOD. DON’T GET ME WRONG I HAVE SUFFERED MY SHARE OF LOSSES. EACH LOSS HAS TAUGHT ME A FEW THINGS THAT I HAVE IMPLEMENTED AND CHANGED OVER TIME SINCE STARTING THIS METHOD.
- KEEP YOUR TASK LIST TO NO MORE THAN 5 THINGS AT A TIME. IF YOU ACCOMPLISH THOSE BEFORE YOUR SET DESIRED DATE THEN MAKE A NEW LIST AND ATTACK IT.
- IT DOESN’T HAVE TO ALL BE COMPLEX ITEMS OF BUSINESS, SMALL TASKS CAN BE INCLUDED. YOU WANT TO PUSH YOUR COMFORT ZONES BUT IT DOESN’T ALL HAVE TO BE THAT WAY.
- TRUST THE PROCESS. YOU DON’T BECOME A POWER-LIST WIZARD WITHIN A MONTH. JUST KEEP FOCUSED AND BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR YOUR ROUTINE AND SCHEDULING WILL BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
WRAPPING IT UP
ALL IN ALL, JUST START SOMEWHERE. TAKE IT DAY BY DAY TO BE BETTER AT STAYING ON TRACK AND SCHEDULING. IF YOU USE THE TOOLS PROVIDED IN THIS ARTICLE YOU ARE SURE TO LOCK IN SOME W’S!
ABOVE ALL, MAY THE GAINS BE WITH YOU – COACH BRITTANY
Link to My Post About Workout Journal