Want to reduce your stress? It’s easy…if you’re willing to take charge of your time.
By Troy Rampy, Editor, The Wellness Blog™
Current research indicates that “lack of time” is a major cause of stress for most people today. I know it’s true for me and for most of my friends and associates. If this is also true for you, and I’d be willing to bet it is, here are four keys that are guaranteed to help you take charge of your time: planning, prioritizing, organizing, and simplifying.
Okay, okay. I know they may sound familiar…or maybe just obvious. But it’s true: these four elements truly work…if you’re really willing to work with them.
But in order to gain more control of your time, and thereby your life, you must first determine how you currently spend your time and energy.
Since the first step in any behavior-change process is awareness, I recommend that you start a one-week “time log”. This is easy to do and it’s relatively painless. No, really…
Here’s how it works: each day, write down how much time you allocate for each activity, e.g. get ready for work – 45 min; commute – 1.3 hrs; meetings – 1.3 hrs; telephone – 1.5 hrs; paperwork – 2.75 hrs; etc.
Be sure to include things like informal chats with co-workers, planning time, procrastination, answering e-mails, and other small things that can add up. At the end of the week, tally the time you spent in each category.
Are you surprised?
Where might you save and/or better use your time? Be sure to use your list of prioritized values to help you make these decisions.
What? You don’t have a prioritized list of your key values?
Then, after you’ve completed your time log, watch for my next blog entry for more information on how to effectively reduce your stress. I’ll also be looking at the basics of planning, prioritizing, organizing, and simplifying so you’ll know exactly how to get the most from them.
“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important
than the outcome.” — Arthur Ashe, 1943–93, Professional Tennis Player
