Time management has always been an issue for me, and it may always be. (I'm really trying to get away from that whole "gotta solve every problem that I come in contact with" mode. It is what it is.) Now that Virtual Angel has been closed for a few months, I don't have to manically schedule everything in order to get stuff done. I've been handling my AssistU duties and my other responsibilities fairly well since they don't take up all my daylight (and nighttime) hours.
However, Write Well U is really picking up, and it's time for me to start paying a little more attention to After School Snacks and E-zines Made EZ - at least to write some articles and keep the sites up to date. Thank goodness for my fabulous, plucky intern! Allison is going to make things all better! Thank you, Allison! I still have to do stuff, but thank goodness I don't have to do it all alone.
I've enjoyed my less-filled and less-stressed life. I like my Tuesdays, and I'm not willing to give up the flexibility and freedom I've gained (because I've chosen them) in my life. I get that it's still a choice, no matter how busy my life gets, but I like it when the choice is easy. :)
So now I'm faced with being conscious of the choices I make in line with my responsibilities, desires, and goals. Since I don't want to let go of this new life I've found, I have to find a way to get it stick, and the only way I know how to do that is to manage my time. I'm on Lesson 5,832 in the Dawn Time Management series.
I've done the Getting Things Done system, Managing Multiple Projects and Priorities class, the Planner Pad planner, Outlook, Excel spreadsheets, and paper calendars. I've taken something away from each system, but I haven't found one that works for me all the time.
My latest strategy is a daily pop-up reminder in my Outlook tasks with the following:
- Work on having fun BEFORE work. I don't have to do my work before I can have fun.
- Schedule time intentionally
- Schedule free time every day
- Schedule one day a week as nothing - no appointments, no calls, no obligations
- Schedule time to write - 2 hours a week
- After writing, reward myself
- Schedule things I want to do (quilting, photo albums)
(I think it's a little sad that I have this as a daily reminder, but, hey, you do what you gotta do.)
I've now added this piece to the reminder puzzle: LOOK AT ALL THESE ELEMENTS AND SCHEDULE THE WEEK WITH THEM IN MIND.
And, yes, that sentence is in all caps in my reminder - just in case I forget. (Geez. What? Am I two years old?) Since January 1, it just seems as if things are going faster. Stacy is back from sabbatical, my Write Well U beta class is in full swing, and life just seems fuller. So, on Sunday, I looked at my week ahead, and I scheduled in fun time, free time, writing time, and no time. It may work swimmingly this week, and then next week it won't. ::::shrug:::: I'll just have to keep tweaking and tweaking. Who knows? Maybe I'll get to Lesson 9,276, and I can teach my own damn time management program.
If you had to create a daily reminder to help you schedule an intentional life, what would be on that reminder?
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