Find Time for Yourself and Your Own Work Style

The Time Finder with Paula Eder

The way you use your time is the way you live your life.

Find Time for Yourself and Your Own Work Style

Posted on February 4, 2009, under Time and Energy.

Time management is a skill that works best when you are taking into account your own personal style and preferences. That might seem obvious, but many of us spend time spinning our wheels because we are managing our time as if we were someone else!

Think about it. New Year’s Resolutions, for some, can provide a good example of this phenomenon. A resolution to exercise every day, if you have not been exercising at all, is probably not founded in the reality of your everyday lifestyle, priorities, and time choices. You may follow through for a couple of weeks, but the enterprise is likely to peter out, probably leaving you feeling discouraged and self-critical.

Even more to the point, if you are not taking into account your energy and work style, your time management efforts will be constantly frustrated as you bump into yourself at every turn. Trying to manage your time and your time priorities without being aware of your energy style and preferences is like trying to run an obstacle course in the dark!

I recently wrote an article titled Time Management Tips – 5 Ways Introverts Can Supercharge Their Productivity that explores this issue and offers tips for managing time based on your work style and your strengths. That’s the key – recognizing your style and working from its strengths. You’ll want to build in time to foster and enhance those strengths.

According to Marti Olsen Lani, author of The Introvert Advantage, introvert strengths include independence, capacity to work well in one-to-one situations, ability to concentrate closely on tasks, creativity, and capacity to analyze systems.

If you are introverted, your experience of time may differ dramatically from that of your extroverted colleagues. So apply your creativity and originality to making the most of time in ways that celebrate your uniqueness.

How would you describe your style? How do you take it into account when managing your time? Let me know, I’d love to hear!

What if you could find another hour every day? You can! For more Time Finding resources, you are invited to sign up and download The New Finding Time Boundary Template. It’s FREE, and when you sign up you will also receive (if you don’t already) my FREE, weekly Finding Time Tips and my FREE, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!

Let’s explore time together …

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There are 2 Responses to “Find Time for Yourself and Your Own Work Style”

#1 Kathryn Merrow - The Pain Relief Coach - 11 February, 10:16 PM

Hi Paula,

I’m definitely an introvert, and I believe I am still more productive in the evening, and I know I work best when no one is around. For me, that tends to be later in the day, so I do my necessary odds and ends earlier in the day to get them out of the way. Then my evenings are free to work without interruption when my productivity is highest.

Got to go read “How to Supercharge My Productivity” now. Thank you for your great help!

#2 Paula - 12 February, 5:14 AM

Hi Kathryn – Thanks so much for your comment. It sounds like you have worked out a very helpful and productive rhythm for yourself, which is just great!

I tend to be most productive and have the most energy toward the end of the day, too. I also like working solo – and love the depth and focus that solitude can bring.

Best of luck in all of your endeavors!

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