Prioritizing is a powerful time management skill that not only helps you enhance your efficiency and effectiveness; it also allows you to declutter your time and free up moments for what is most important to you. I suggest that you consider self-care as a priority, as you read on. It is a vital element in any time plan, and one that often falls off the table when busy people are prioritizing.
So today I’d like to share part of an article from The Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine. Titled “Revolutionize Your Mindset to Create Clutter Free Time,” it offers some very practical ideas for setting priorities and de-cluttering your time.
And if you’re not familiar with the e-zine, this is a great time to hop on board! Just sign up for the Finding Time Success Kit in the sidebar or at the link above. When you do, you’ll receive our Finding Time Boundary Template and our popular, weekly Finding Time Tips in addition to the monthly edition of the Finding Time E-zine – all right to your in-box! The next edition will be published on Thursday, so if you sign up today, you’ll be receiving our new article titled “Safe and Sound Crisis Support – A Hands-On Guide” at 9 AM (ET) that morning.
To give you a taste of what the e-zine has to offer, here’s the audio for our article about prioritizing and de-cluttering your time. And below is an excerpt
Let’s envision an ideal beginning to your day. You know your path and all that’s on it, because your plans follow your priorities.
Even setbacks and surprises feel manageable. The most important tasks will get accomplished, no matter what. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
Prioritizing is a Heart-Based Time Management™ Tool.
Prioritizing is a lifelong linking of your heart, your mind, and your responsiveness to ongoing change. Here are some benefits you enjoy when you prioritize:
1. You feel relaxed.
When your priorities are clear, you are at peace with what comes first and what can wait.
2. You feel safe.
Because you’ve weighed the options objectively, your time choices are firmly grounded in reality.
3. You feel confident.
Your skill at prioritizing helps you remain agile, even as new situations arise. This ease with change encourages you to remain calm, alert and resourceful.
4. Your time is uncluttered.
When you prioritize, you simplify. The more you exercise decisiveness, the stronger your “prioritizing muscles” become.
5. You experience inner abundance.
You know, right down to your toes, that fulfillment arises from heart-based prioritizing and the commitment to use your time accordingly.
Basic Prioritizing Tools
Prioritizing skills can be developed in small, workable steps. Here are 2 essential tools you can start with:
1. Due Dates
“Deadlines” sound so … dead. I prefer to think in terms of “due dates”. After all, each completed project “births” new possibilities! Notice how using due dates helps focus your mind. This powerful-yet-simple tool encourages you to confront and overcome obstacles as you move toward your top priority.
Obstacles might well include distractions that appeal to you. When you identify them as threats to your success, you assign them a lower priority, at least for now. Thanks to your prioritizing, you have given yourself a destination and a clear path to follow in the hours ahead.
2. Dependency
When you work on a project that requires collaboration, the “dependency” is a person outside your immediate work group whose participation you need in order to reach your goals. Dependencies need to be factored in, when you are prioritizing tasks.
For example, let’s say that you collaborate with multiple departments at work. You set up budgets on a quarterly basis, and you need to obtain your figures from the finance department. Since they generally take three weeks, prioritize your request so that you make it well in advance of your due date. This ensures that you get the necessary information in plenty of time.
Of course, others depend on YOU, as well. Perhaps your child needs you to create a costume for a play. Without hesitation, you give this task top priority. In this instance your heart-based connection to your child, and your child’s reliance on you, anchor this priority’s importance as you plan.
Consider starting your revolution by refreshing your mindset and introducing these concepts as you plan your day. Notice how your effectiveness grows with each small step that carries its own rewards.
See, this is the kind of practical and inspiring information that you’ll receive when you sign up for The Finding Time E-zine. Why not get started today?
And if you’d like to explore Heart-Based Time Management™ more deeply, there’s a great way to do that right now! I invite you to access Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management™ – my chapter in the book I co-authored – Stepping Stones to Success! In it you’ll learn about my proven system for harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you deepen your experience of time and of your life.
You can give yourself the gift of this wonderful resource today, and get started on your journey toward success, Stepping Stone by Stepping Stone …just click this link.
Related articles
- Preparation Pays Off: 3 Tips to Save Time! (thetimefinder.com)
- Goal-Setting to Stay Flexible and Find Time! (thetimefinder.com)
- Perfectionism, Procrastination and Transformation: More Favorites for Finding Time (thetimefinder.com)
This article is so “timely” for me and such a great reminder on how to place one foot in front of the other. I also really enjoyed the calm, peaceful tone of your audio and feel like I can breathe again with all my ducks lining up!
Thank you Paula
Hi Jill –
I’m so glad to hear that the article (and the audio) resonated for you. Having your ducks lined up can certainly reduce stress; and I hope your day unfolded according to plan. (And if it didn’t, I hope your time skills, resilience and agility stood you in good stead!)
To your time success …
Paula