“We always have time enough when we know how to employ it well.”~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The world seems to revolve around a pervasive time management challenge.
Nearly every coaching client asks me to help them manage their time more effectively. We’re asked to include skills around time management in nearly every leadership program we create. Clients nearly always ask for help in doing more in less time.
There simply isn’t enough time for everything any more. We are under constant pressure. It feels like we’re expected to respond immediately…or sooner. We’re cramming more and more and more into our already full schedules – at work and at home. There simply isn’t enough time.
Or, maybe there is. Granted, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lived in what was most likely a much simpler time. We know he didn’t have a smart phone constantly buzzing, a LinkedIn profile to keep up, tweets to respond to, and pings from too many social media and instant messages apps (and perhaps a few too many email accounts) to grab his attention. But maybe he had demands on his time that we can’t imagine, and a few less time-saving devices (like indoor plumbing) to help him along.
Either way, it seems to be a mindset. I can approach my day knowing there is simply too much to do and not enough time to do it, or I can approach my day knowing that I know how to focus and prioritize, and I’ll get done what is really important. I can react endlessly to my incoming messages and requests and demands on my time, or I can focus on what’s important (use Stephen Covey’s Urgent/Important matrix for guidance) and know I’m accomplishing what matters.
Each moment matters, and I have the choice to be mindful and present and strategic in how I spend my time – even my chill and relaxation time, which is at least as important as everything else. And with this choice, I’m much more likely to have time enough.
How can you have enough time? What do you do to make the time you have be enough?
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For support in having enough time, contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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