Juggling time, priorities and well-being
Like many others at the beginning of this new year, I (Ruth) have been reflecting on my life, my priorities and how I manage my time. If we are honest with ourselves, we are all susceptible to certain unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour which can undermine our leadership and/or sense of well-being. One of my unhelpful patterns is a tendency to say yes to too many things. I enjoy a high level of activity and I can, and want to, make a difference, but can often feel overwhelmed and exhausted after a period of juggling too many responsibilities. Judging by my journal entries over the years, it’s an aspect of self-leadership that I am slow to improve on. I suspect I am not the only one with this struggle, so for my fellow jugglers, plate-spinners and those who simply wish there were more hours in the day, I offer the following thoughts, which I am currently reflecting on:
Be clear about the things which are most important and schedule those in first
Don’t allow the urgent to overwhelm the important
Be careful what you say yes to – everything you say yes to is a no to something else
Commit to fewer things and do them well
Build in regular time and space to stop, think, reflect and dream.
Resist constant activity and the urge to jump in and meet a need just because you can
Build margins into your day to avoid rushing from one thing to another and to give yourself space to catch up if things have overrun or to prepare for the next thing
Identify what you need to feel rested and restored and schedule regular time to do those things, on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis.
“Whenever you say yes to anything there is less of you for something else. Make sure your “yes” is worth the less.”
- Louie Guiglio
