The Time Finder with Paula Eder
The way you use your time is the way you live your life.
Archive for August, 2008
Finding Time to Get Back to School
Posted on August 28, 2008 by Paula, under Time Management Skills.
Finding time to make transitions in a planful way isn’t always possible. But some transitions are predictable. If you take the time to plan for them, you’ll be all the better for it.
Back to school.A great example of this is the back to school transition. Nicole Humphrey has written an article titled Quick Tips to Have a Smooth Back to School Transition that is posted on families.com.
She advises starting to prepare early. That means buying needed supplies, attending school events, and starting to let go of some of the things that we really love about the summertime before we absolutely have to. For example, she suggests:
“About a week or two before school resumes, start going to bed a bit earlier and waking up closer to the time you would need to get up. If you get your body into the gradual habit by starting a little early, it won’t be such a shock on that first day of school.”
It’s probably a little late to initiate this plan for getting back to school, but it offers an example of a great way to ease into any new routine. As with all transitions, it requires starting something new, and letting go of something else.
Discipline and PlanfulnessNegotiating transitions requires discipline and planfulness. Your planfulness enables you to recognize and honor both the losses and the gains. Your discipline helps you to let go and do what you need to do to move ahead.
Here’s to a great transition into this new school year!
I’d love to hear how it goes for you.
What if you could find another hour every week? You can! For more Time Finding resources, you are invited to sign up for my free, twice-weekly Finding Time Tips. Each Tip is paired with a practical action step that you can use IMMEDIATELY … and as a bonus for signing up, you’ll also receive my free, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!
Let’s explore time together …
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Finding Time, Focus and Discipline to Live Your Dreams
Posted on August 27, 2008 by Paula, under Time Choices.
Michael Phelps and his remarkable journey to the realization of his Olympic dreams is a great example of what hard work and perseverance can accomplish.
Your dreams, too, are within your reach.
Usually it’s not the lack of time that gets in the way of our dreams. It’s more likely the lack of clear priorities that shape time choices, and the lack of strong, clear time boundaries that give us the room we need to work.
In other words, it’s focus and discipline.
Quite simply, finding time to realize your goals may have less to do with finding time than with finding time by finding focus.
Think about the importance of focus and discipline in your life.
What gets you off track? What helps you to persevere in the pursuit of your dreams?
What if you could find another hour every week? You can! For more Time Finding resources, you are invited to sign up for my free, twice-weekly Finding Time Tips. Each Tip is paired with a practical action step that you can use IMMEDIATELY … and as a bonus for signing up, you’ll also receive my free, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!
Let’s explore time together …
Other Posts You Might Enjoy!
Finding Time and Success Through Focus and Discipline
Posted on August 26, 2008 by Paula, under Time Choices.
Finding time by finding focus in the pool – and following through with discipline – now there’s an inspiring story!
Michael Phelps’ story.Like just about everyone, I’ve been reading a lot about Michael Phelps and his huge accomplishment at the Beijing Olympics. This article by Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun Times provides some great background information that deepens his story even more.
Everyman.His path could, in some ways, be that of many others. That is what makes it so compelling. His accomplishment is gargantuan, yet he seems a very down to earth, humble young man.
With a difference.What makes him different? What gives him his edge? Two things: focus and discipline. Asked about his feat, he says that he wrote down his goals and he accomplished them. It’s a simple statement that belies hours, days, weeks, months … years of focus and discipline in the pool.
And yet, if you think about it, it is simple, isn’t it?
Focus and discipline.
How do these two qualities play out in your life? How do they affect your time choices?
What if you could find another hour every week? You can! For more Time Finding resources, you are invited to sign up for my free, twice-weekly Finding Time Tips. Each Tip is paired with a practical action step that you can use IMMEDIATELY … and as a bonus for signing up, you’ll also receive my free, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!
Let’s explore time together …
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Finding Time to Read the Best of The Time Finder!
Posted on August 25, 2008 by Paula, under Time After Time.
I hope that you had a wonderful weekend. Here in the Northeast, the weather was absolutely gorgeous!
Have you noticed (I certainly have) that finding time to keep up with all the great information that is available on the internet and elsewhere can be a very challenging task?
And have you noticed, too, that you can miss a lot, whizzing along at warp speed!
With that in mind, I’m starting a new, monthly feature on my blog that will reprise the most popular posts from the previous month.
Maybe you’ll discover a gem that you missed. Maybe something that you skipped over will catch your eye the second time around.
Here are the “most-read” posts from the month of July, 2008:
Finding Time – What Children Can Teach Us;
Finding Your Time Boundary Baseline;
Finding Time Using Carrots, Not Consequences!; and
Finding Time by Setting Boundaries – The Journey Continues.
I hope you enjoy looking these over – and, as always, I love hearing your thoughts and feedback!
What if you could find another hour every week? You can! For more Time Finding resources, you are invited to sign up for my free, twice-weekly Finding Time Tips. Each Tip is paired with a practical action step that you can use IMMEDIATELY … and as a bonus for signing up, you’ll also receive my free, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!
Let’s explore time together …
Other Posts You Might Enjoy!
Finding Time for What Matters Most!
Posted on August 21, 2008 by Paula, under Time After Time.
A new addition!In today’s Finding Time E-zine I share an article about “Finding Time for Valuing Your Values.”
Along with that, I share news about a brand new addition to my life … a Maltese puppy!
Alex was a big gift that I gave to myself for a big birthday (my 65th)!
Puppies haven’t changed …Now, I’ve welcomed puppies into my home since 1970. For more than 38 years, I’ve never been without a dog in my life (and usually from two to four, in fact). Yet the last time I had a puppy was more than ten years ago.
But I have …Having Alex, who is a happy, healthy four-month-old puppy, definitely reminds me of my changing energy level! I’m still energetic, but my reserves have lessened over the years – and living with a puppy brings that home on a whole new level!
In every change, an opportunity …Transitions, whether they be turning 65, or welcoming a new puppy … or BOTH … help make us aware of our changes. They make for great learning experiences, however sobering they may sometimes be.
I’ll be writing more about transitions as we move toward September and all that it brings.
What if you could find another hour every week? You can! For more Time Finding resources, you are invited to sign up for my free, twice-weekly Finding Time Tips. Each Tip is paired with a practical action step that you can use IMMEDIATELY … and as a bonus for signing up, you’ll also receive my free, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!
Let’s explore time together …
Other Posts You Might Enjoy!
Finding Time by Using Priorities When You’re on a Deadline
Posted on August 20, 2008 by Paula, under Time Priorities.
We’ve been discussing finding time by using time priorities as a powerful time management tool.
What about tasks that involve a short-term or one-time event?
A good way to look at things like this is to grant highest priority to the task on your list that causes greatest consequences for yourself or others.
For example, what if your child needs a costume for a play in two weeks?
This becomes a high priority, because if you do not do it, your child will be the only one in the play without a costume.
Once you have an overview, then add in your time-limited priorities …
When you are setting priorities for tasks using this system, it is very helpful to plot out all of your tasks on a calendar. Then integrate one-time events with ongoing responsibilities. This will help you see, and plan around, overlapping priorities.
Remember – setting task priorities without a system is useless.
Equally important as setting priorities is taking the time to create a system that allows you to act in accordance with your priorities.
How have you been doing, as you tap into the power of priority-setting? I’d love to hear from you!
How would it feel to have another hour in your day? You can! For more Time Finding resources sign up for my free, twice-weekly Finding Time Tips. Each Tip is paired with a practical action step that you can use IMMEDIATELY … and as a bonus for signing up, you’ll also receive my free, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!
Let’s explore time together …
Other Posts You Might Enjoy!
Finding Time by Spotting Your Top Priorities
Posted on August 19, 2008 by Paula, under Time Priorities.
Finding time by prioritizing is a powerful time management tool. Once you’ve compiled your list of tasks, it’s time to place them in order of priority.
First look at your list of ongoing tasks and decide which are the most important.
An ongoing task might be a budget report that you need to turn in to your boss by the third Tuesday of each month. It suggests high priority because it deals with money.
Look closer …
If this task can be accomplished by simply integrating daily financial records, it probably doesn’t take very long to do. While important, it wouldn’t be your highest monthly priority. However, if your report requires integrating information from your team of six people …and you don’t receive their reports until the day before your report is due … this task becomes “time-limited” and therefore a high priority.
Look for dependencies …
When you’re dependent on something from other people to complete your task, its level of difficulty increases. This is simply because the variables increase. The more dependencies involved in a task, the more it becomes a priority.
By working on your priorities this way, you create a system that assures that the highest priorities or responsibilities get addressed first.
Try this for yourself, and let me know how it goes.
How would it feel to have another hour in your day? You can! For more Time Finding resources sign up for my free, twice-weekly Finding Time Tips. Each Tip is paired with a practical action step that you can use IMMEDIATELY … and as a bonus for signing up, you’ll also receive my free, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!
Let’s explore time together …
Other Posts You Might Enjoy!
Finding Time is Much Easier When You Start Clarifying Your Priorities
Posted on August 18, 2008 by Paula, under Time Priorities.
Were you as amazed by Michael Phelps’ accomplishment this past weekend as I was? He’s a great example of someone who has clarified his priorities! Today we’ll start exploring the importance of having clear priorities – using a metaphor I’m more familiar with than swimming. Dance!
Finding time without knowing your priorities is a little like trying to perform a dance routine without knowing the music, or the other dancers in the troupe, or the choreography. Chaos, in other words.
So, how do you figure out and set your priorities?
Know the music.First, it is critical that you list all the tasks that you need to accomplish. This is what you have to work with.
Know the other dancers.Second, separate your tasks into ones that are a one-time event, and those that are ongoing. Who are you partnered with for a long pas de deux?
Know the choreography.Third, decide which tasks in each category are truly time-limited and must be accomplished by a certain date and/or time. When the music stops, you want to be sure that you end your solo at the same time!
Now you have everything you need to start setting priorities for yourself … and for managing your time.
How do you feel as you look at your list? Are you ready for Step 2?
How would it feel to have another hour in your day? You can! For more Time Finding resources sign up for my free, twice-weekly Finding Time Tips. Each Tip is paired with a practical action step that you can use IMMEDIATELY … and as a bonus for signing up, you’ll also receive my free, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!
Let’s explore time together …
Other Posts You Might Enjoy!
Finding Time With Time Boundaries? Start With Your Priorities
Posted on August 14, 2008 by Paula, under Time Boundaries.
Finding time by setting time boundaries is a key life skill to develop.
As you’ve explored your time boundaries and practiced setting them, you may have noticed that it’s easier to maintain your boundaries when you know that you are not being arbitrary or unreasonable about them.
How can you know that?
One important way to clarify where and when you need time boundaries is to be able to establish reasonable priorities. (Prioritizing also lends credibility to the time boundaries you actually set.)
If it’s important, they’ll understand …
When you are clear within yourself about the relative priorities of your tasks, your time boundaries make more sense. People begin to realize that if you set a boundary, you are not doing it on a whim. They know it’s because the associated task is an important one.
This makes the boundary seem reasonable. That, in turn, makes it much easier for others to support your efforts at time management!
So, how do you go about setting priorities in your life?
Is it something that you do consciously, or does it more often happen by default?
How would it feel to have another hour in your day? You can! For more Time Finding resources sign up for my free, twice-weekly Finding Time Tips. Each Tip is paired with a practical action step that you can use IMMEDIATELY … and as a bonus for signing up, you’ll also receive my free, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!
Let’s explore time together …
Other Posts You Might Enjoy!
Finding Time to be Me at 65
Posted on August 13, 2008 by Paula, under Time After Time.
These days time finds me reflecting on turning 65. As I’ve noted in previous posts, time is absolute, concrete, and universal. That means that 65 has arrived right on time!
I’m making friends with the reality.
A point in time …
My 65th birthday is a point in time. It is a day that is no different from the day before or the day after. And, as birthdays go, it’s no different from my 61st birthday … or my 14th, for that matter. It’s a still point in the flow of time.
Cultural constructs …
As well, this birthday is a marker. Like the 16th, the 21st, the 50th, our culture infuses the 65th year with special significance. It may not be a meaning that you relate to or welcome or value, but the day carries additional weight in our culture. These constructs, like our images of how someone of a particular age looks or acts, can at once heighten AND obscure the importance of the day.
Step back and take a breath!
The fact is that each day is important, just as each breath is a miracle, bridging from one moment to the next. Turning 65 is as simple as going from one day to another, and as momentous as moving into a new phase of life. It is both things at once, and I am, like my breath, the bridge.
Have you already made this, or another similar transition? I’d love to hear about it!
What if you could find another hour every week? You can! For more Time Finding resources, you are invited to sign up for my free, twice-weekly Finding Time Tips. Each Tip is paired with a practical action step that you can use IMMEDIATELY … and as a bonus for signing up, you’ll also receive my free, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!
Let’s explore time together …
Other Posts You Might Enjoy!
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