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A client said, “I feel I only have a choice over those things I can control or determine.” We talked about her busy calendar and always more to-do’s. “You also have a choice in how you react to the things that happen to change your plans,” I said, “But, if you’d like more control over your schedule, why not prioritize your goals?”
True, life has many sporadic events. It’s a rushing river that can sweep you along if you let it. You have to know what current you want to swim in, or you can end up back paddling to get on solid ground again before determining a direction.
What stops us from setting our priorities in the first place is our impatient desire to get in action. An enthusiastic attitude often accompanies this, which is a good thing to have, but we have to harness both and redirect them to select what to tackle first.
So the river of life doesn’t sweep you along, use a schedule book, manual or electronic, to suit your style. Focus on your most important projects for the week and a realistic timeframe to accomplish them. Factor in extra time for distractions, such as phone calls to make and receive, mail to get out, meetings to attend, etc.
Build in rewards when you complete the most important goals. If you tend to work hard neglecting breaks, put breaks into your scheduler. I use a PDA that has a timer built in and I set it for breaks. You can also use an egg timer or similar device. When you’re on break, take deep breaths, walk out of your office and relax—you know you’ve given yourself sufficient time to tackle the most important projects.
You can waste energy choosing which goals are more important. Often there are several. In that case, compare your goals to horses at a racetrack. Your “horses” run around the track to get to the finish line, but there is only one gate to drive the horses through. They have to line up. Keep in mind, they will all get through the gate, just not all at once, so quickly determine the line up.
Multiple, simultaneous startup projects cause a lack of focus and make it difficult to bring any to full fruition. Choose which one to focus on based on your deepest interest and the benefits it provides. Know that once that goal has been met, you can invest your energies in the next project. This way, you will have the satisfaction of accomplishment versus juggling too many things where—look out—the river has carried you away!
Laurie A. Sheppard is a master certified Life Coach and Career Strategist to mid-level professional women and women entrepreneurs who want to make quality career and personal changes.
Ready to change your life? Contact Laurie at info@creatingatwill.com or call her at 310-645-2874. Sign up to receive monthly career tips
c. 2005, 2006 This article is free to publish in its entirety, with a courtesy email to info@creatingatwill.com
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