As both a professional organizer and a recovering perfectionist, I, like many others I know, hold myself to some pretty high standards when it comes to managing my time. Having high standards of oneself is great...in theory. But I often find that it can get in the way of real life. If you've spent anytime around me, you probably know that I like to plan my time and be as efficient as possible. Doing so helps me to:
So I do my best to stick to a well-planned schedule that balances the multitude of my responsibilities. When I follow these general guidelines, I am usually able to show up in the world as my best self - a good friend, a reliable sister and daughter, a caring mom, and a loving wife (who sometimes even makes a decent dinner to boot!).
However, I continue to learn that especially as a mom only 7 months into the job, holding the same high expectations for myself can lead to a lot of disappointment, frustration and honestly, the occasional tear. Inevitably, the meltdown happens when I have tried to schedule out my day impeccably: a morning workout, followed by play time with my son and then tending to work on the computer while he sleeps. Ideally his nap is followed by a quick meal, running some errands, and then meeting up with a client. After work, it's enjoying a home-cooked meal and a glass of wine with my husband. All in a good day's work, right? That is until my son decides that he doesn't need to nap anymore or my internet goes down unexpectedly or I hit traffic. Poof! There goes my well-laid schedule and oftentimes, my good mood with it.
Nowadays, rather than trying to create the perfect schedule and holding myself to the expectation of having a productive day everyday, here are a few guidelines that I am trying to focus on instead:
1 - Prioritize: I am looking at my schedule and To Do List and then building my daily schedule around my top 2-3 priorities. (Let's get real - some days, it's only 1 priority that is on the agenda!) Rather than planning every moment of the day, I am working on leaving some time to respond to emergencies or other situations that pop up. Things that don't get completed today can move to the next day or later in the week.
2 - Adapt: Life can change in an instant. What was a priority yesterday may become obsolete today. Rather than getting stuck in my preconceived notion of the way things are supposed to happen, I am working on being open to new possibilities and directions. This one is hitting close to home right now in a positive way...my son is taking an extra long nap today which is allowing me the time to write this very post.
3 - Savor each moment: This is perhaps the toughest of these 3 guidelines as it's easy for me to get wrapped up in an event that happened yesterday or my plans for the weekend, effectively taking me out of the present. However, some of the most fulfilling moments are those that happen unexpectedly - a call from a friend, an extra-long snuggle with a child, getting lost in a book for hours. When I am about to get sucked into feeling bad about all that I didn't accomplish today, I am getting better at shifting my attention to what I did do instead. And that sense of accomplishment and acknowledgement is what effective time management is about anyways!
"You're writing the story of your life one moment at a time." ~Doc Childre and Howard Martin
