"Time is a precious gift and often, we mismanage it by allowing our thoughts, actions and habits to eat it. If we alter our habits, we will learn how to manage our time more efficiently and enjoy the benefits of having more time for the goals, activities and people that matter to us. "
1. Procrastination. It takes time to procrastinate. Putting off decisions or actions uses time that we could spend doing something positive, something to move our agendas forward. We waste time thinking about decisions we are afraid to make and actions we consider difficult. We waste time cuddling our fears. The picture worsens if we are chronic procrastinators.
2. Beginning without a plan. "Wing it!" This may prompt us to dive blind with the belief that we can plan on the fly. While others have done it, it is still a risk. Things may not turn out quite the way we expect. If we stumble, fall or fail, we have to get up, dust ourselves off and begin again. Sometimes, we may even have to think about and plan for a different path altogether. Uninformed decisions and ill-advised and hasty actions eat our time.
3. Not delegating. Sometimes, it is necessary to manage multiple tasks and projects. That's the reality of our modern times. Nevertheless, trying to do everything ourselves eats time. When we delegate we help build someone's confidence, self-esteem and character. Often, people are willing to help but are afraid to offer because they recognize our obsession with perfection and our chronic dissatisfaction with other people's performance.
Family members are usually the first to notice such tendencies. When they see us overwhelmed with our household duties, they disappear because after all, what's the point of offering to help. They anticipate that we will say "It's all right; I'll do it" or if we let them help, we complain that they did not do it right.
Not everyone's idea of clean, neat and organized is the same. At home, we should ease up on the obsession with perfection and take a more realistic, more relaxed, more family-friendly approach. In our work environments, we should bring co-workers and subordinates on-board with processes and delegate without hovering, to nurture confidence and a desire for excellence.
4. Over thinking. There is merit in thinking through an issue and dissecting a problem. However, when we keep mulling stuff over in our minds, we use up valuable time that could be spent, making informed decisions and taking decisive actions. When an issue or problem arises, we should hasten to gather the requisite information along with sound advice. After thinking things through thoroughly, we should make the decisions and take the actions that will help us achieve our desired outcomes.
5. Bitterness. It's all right to get angry but it is detrimental to our emotional and physical health to walk through our days with bitterness over some wrong we have suffered. As we languish in the memory, bitterness seeps into all areas of our lives. It colours our words.
It flashes in our actions and reactions. It muddles our relationships, making everyone a target for our mood swings, verbal stabs and bad actions. Regardless how deep the pain, at some point we should release the bitterness to create an opening for apologies, explanations, forgiveness and restitution. With bitterness gone and forgiveness in play, healing can begin for wounded egos, fractured relationships, damaged reputations and unaccomplished goals. If we want to manage the feeding frenzy in our lives, we should take steps now to prevent the above-mentioned practices from eating our time.
Cheryl Wrightis a writer and editor.Her essays, feature articles and columns have beenpublishedonline and in print since 1998.She edits personal and business documents and content for print and online publications.
Weekly column (since 2006):
Wright Words of Wisdom
