“What happened to my day?!?”
This is a typical complaint among people with executive function issues, particularly now that so many of us work from home and our daily routines are thrown off.
You wouldn't squander the day dumping dollar notes about the home, but chances are you squander vital time every day — engrossed in social media or gaming, browsing through endless streaming video, delaying, or lazily scanning the fridge for the tenth time. Before you know it, the day has come to an end, and you guiltily drop onto the sofa for a watch before night, promising to do better the next time. Does this sound familiar? Every one of us has been there. But there is an escape route.
Here are a few steps to make better use of your time:
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1. You must run the day or it will run you.
Staying in control is an important part of time management. What frequently occurs is as follows: We start something and feel in control, but as the day progresses, we begin to lose control. It's similar to operating a company. If you don't remain on top of things, the company will eventually run you down.
Here's a nice saying to remember: "Some will master, while others will serve." That is the nature of life, and you must ensure that you become the master. You must manage the day. You must maintain control.
What is the secret to remaining in command? You must always have a documented set of objectives with you. Prioritize your objectives and determine which are more critical. Review your objectives on a regular basis, and then incorporate them into a properly written game plan.
With your game plan in hand, attempt to distinguish the majors from the minors, the really essential things from the things you just must accomplish. Also, prioritize. A little planning may save you a lot of time.
Is today a big or minor holiday? Adjust your schedule appropriately. Is this a significant or trivial conversation? Many individuals struggle in this area, and here's why: They specialize in tiny details. They spend too much time on things that don't matter and not enough time on those that should.
2. Don't confuse mobility with success.
You're undoubtedly aware of certain persons in your immediate vicinity who are just preoccupied with being preoccupied. You must be occupied in order to be productive.
Consider the following: A guy returns home late at night and collapses on the sofa. "I've been going, going, going," he adds. But the actual question is, "What are you doing?" Some individuals are sprinting, sprinting, sprinting, but they're performing figure eights. They're not making any headway.
Don't confuse mobility with accomplishment. Examine your daily schedule to determine if there is any squandered time that you might better manage.
3. Pay attention to where you are.
Don't start your business day until you've finished your work. Wait until you get to the workplace to begin your job. Start your workday at the dinner table, not at the breakfast table. It's bad for the family and it's not very productive.
So here's what you need to do. Concentrate on your driving on the way to work and on the shower while you're in it. Concentrate on the family around the breakfast table. Be present wherever you are. Don't go anywhere else. Give whatever you're doing the gift of your undivided attention. Give individuals the gift of their undivided attention. Pay attention to where you are.
4. Develop the ability to say no.
In a culture like ours, it's all too tempting to say yes too many times, to over-commit oneself. Then there's the time it takes to back out of it. Don't agree too hastily. It is preferable to say, "I'm not sure whether I can make it, but I'll give you a call." It's preferable to mention it now rather than later.
Being too eager to please might be hazardous. You must value yourself. Your time, and your limitations too.
One of my coworkers has a wise adage: "Don't let your mouth overburden your back." Being too eager to please might be hazardous. Recognize when your devotion to someone else will take time away from you and your family. Take advantage of your alone time. And cherish the time you spend with the people you love and those who love you.
This is particularly true when it comes to charitable activities. A bunch of entrepreneurs I know have had a lot of success with their own businesses. They garner a lot of attention. They've also been inundated with demands to conduct pro bono labor. Here's how they deal with it: They accept all requests, balance them in terms of time commitments, and assess them in terms of opportunities. Then they decide as a group which two they will accept throughout the following year.
You can't say yes to proposals that seem impressive right away. Even though a social gathering seems like a lot of fun, you can't say yes right now. You must say maybe and take the time to consider what is genuinely essential to you and what would only divert your attention away from your goals and your family.
You should strive to delight yourself and your family. Don't try too hard to satisfy everyone else. Recognize your own limitations. You don't have to fill every second of the day; instead, take time to reflect on what you've done. Take some time to relax and appreciate the results of your efforts.
5. Pay attention to the little things.
Your achievement should be enjoyable. It is critical to value what you have, what you have done, and who you have become. It is a critical component in powering your future accomplishments. Knowing that you completed whatever you set out to achieve that day is motivating! These little everyday victories are what keep you motivated to succeed.
Assume you're working out your game plan for tomorrow tonight, and tomorrow seems to be light. So all you plan for tomorrow is "cleanup day." Remove all of the little notes from your desk. Write all of the thank-you cards you haven't had time to write this week. Take care of a few phone calls that keep being pushed from day today. It's nothing major. Nonetheless, it is the little details that continue to drag you down until you do them.
So you spend your day cleaning. You file the notes, write the thank-you cards, and contact the people. It's not a big day. But at the end of the day, you feel like you've done a lot. Why is this so? Because you've attended to so many little things. The smallest touches may make a big impact. You feel like you've accomplished a lot in a day that began off so little.
Conclusion
Little accomplishments are equally as significant as huge ones. Success is a never-ending process of working toward your objectives, one step at a time. Little accomplishments lead to huge outcomes. In the 24 hours, we have each day, everything is conceivable.
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