Time Management: Prioritize. Begin.
Recently my own words — Prioritize. Begin. — hit me like a bolt of lightning. Have you ever been hit (figuratively, not literally) completely out of the blue? Of course, you have. We’ve all had those kinds of moments. Here’s my latest.
I received an invite to chat on a podcast about mindset/mental health/meditation. From a fellow I know, have helped over the past year and of whom I have complete faith will help right many wrongs in his world. My first reaction was no way. I am not a trained psychologist, spiritual leader, or mental health advocate.
What could I possibly say that might help anyone?
The other day, I struggled with contributing relevance to the Keep the Lights On Forum. Yeah, I came up with the idea, sold my partner on it, and worked hard to launch it. Yet, I wanted to share something with interested attendees afterwards. And honestly, the KTLO forum is not the place to talk about all the usual stuff. Because at its core, KTLO is about climbing back up with proven ideas.
Yesterday, I listened to someone talk about time management in today’s world. My idea of time management is — Make a list. Prioritize it. Shut down distractions in blocks of time. Work on tasks in priority order. Cross off completed tasks. Rinse and repeat.
While I fully acknowledge this is not everyone’s cup of tea, two main items are inherent in time management. First, prioritize what needs to be done. Then, begin.
Imagine my surprise when the first thing the lecturer asked was,
What do you need in the next 24 hours to inspire yourself?
What a brilliant question.
Right now, so many business owners, senior executives and leaders are operating at less than 100% of their usual energy, stamina, verve, and/or mojo. Our world has been turned entirely upside down; there is no easy end in sight, and the demands on all of us are relentless. Worse, every single person I talk with, mentor or coach is drowning under all those demands. Perhaps you are too?
If I had a magic wand and could fix the tired, exhausted and wounded business community, I would start with these three questions.
• What does success look like for you?
• What do you need to get there?
• Do you really need to do it all yourself?
Because when we have a clue to the answers to those three questions, it becomes easier to check in with the person in the mirror and ask, ‘what do YOU NEED to inspire YOU?
And then it becomes much easier to prioritize. Once prioritized, we can begin.
Here is the result.
We can start. To make proactive decisions. Because we have taken the time to examine what is most important to us. Because we have an idea of where we want to go and how we want to be. Once we get out of the reactive mode, our view becomes more expansive, and we can see things from an unemotional point of view.
This means we begin to regain control. When we feel we have some level of control, we can move forward. And our brains start to remake a supply of endorphins. A sufficient level of endorphins is the superpower we have to ward off the mental games, anxieties, doubts and symptoms that plague us.
I know this because, like you, I have learned survival lessons. From losing a loved one, losing a business, losing a job, and losing parts of my health. I am no different. Yet, so many of us have pushed through to the other side.
Here’s the truth. NONE of us pushed through to the other side without the help of at least one other person. (I am grateful I had more than one in every case.) So my point is we can’t do it alone. NO one can.
How to prioritize and begin.
That is my message for the interested parties after the KTLO forum; that is my message for the podcast request. And that is my offer to you. Want to grab a few tips for yourself? Reach out.
