Have You Time to Think?

Have You Time to Think?

Talented women often tell me they don’t have time to think. They are too busy responding to the needs of people around them–at home, at work, and in their communities.

In the past couple of years, trying to keep up with everything that was happening was more than what we could handle.

But, being in constant reactive mode is tiring. Chronic exhaustion leads to more mistakes. And, this can leave you feeling unnecessarily defeated.

Moreover, when you don’t manage your time energy, you relinquish that control to others around you.

Thankfully, you don’t need to make up for lost time. Each day, we’re given 24 hours to work with. Every day is a new chance to start.

Moreover, you don’t need a ton of time to think. You just need to make a few easy tweaks.

Having worked with my coaching clients, I never recommend overhauls–mainly because they rarely work. What is far more effective is small baby steps. So, here are some baby steps on how to spend any thinking time you can spare efficiently: quarterly, weekly, and daily:

Once every three months, take some time to reflect on four areas of your life:

Pursuits: Your career, volunteer work, professional or creative projects

People: Family, friends, and people that matter to you

Personal: Your health and well-being

Possessions: Your home, stuff, including things in your digital cloud 

For each, consider what are your priorities?

What would you like to move forward?

Disclaimer: The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensure discussion or debate.

What truly needs your attention?

Don’t spend too much time on this, just consider what is most salient or important to you.

Then, think about 1-3 priorities to focus on in the near term. You can change your mind about what they are, but it’s good to select just a few.

For example, right now, my three main priorities are

1) Writing more Pursuit,

2) Developing some upcoming workshops,

3) Taking care of my dad long-distance.

This doesn’t mean I’m neglecting my health or my home. I have my annual CT Scan and doctor’s visit this month (Personal) and will have to figure out my taxes (Possessions). But, the three I selected are my main priorities.

Now that you have your priorities, you can then figure out how to focus on turning them into action. Take a little time each week to figure out what tasks you might want to tackle. Then each day, spend a moment to figure out when and how to fit them in.

Assuming that you need a lot of time to think will become a stumbling block, especially when you’re tired or feeling busy. Instead, try to do this in smaller chunks.

For example, give yourself 10 minutes, set a time, and think about what your priorities are under just one category, like “Personal.” Next time you have 10 minutes, try to think about what your priorities are under another category….  

Do you want to add a word or two?.... 

When you think and plan, consider using pen and paper at least some of the time. 

Even my most tech-savvy clients find that incorporating the kinesthetic action of writing into their planning helps them to be more creative and clears their minds more effectively.

But, if using your phone is more convenient, don’t worry about using pen and paper. What’s more important is to…

Be consistent. There is no right way to do this. So, rather than try to figure out what is optimal do what works for you.

What helps, however, is to make sure you know where you are keeping those notations or thoughts.

It matters more that you know where to go to retrieve the information you’ve recorded.

It also helps to tie actions to places or times more consistently. For example, if you always find yourself waiting in the car before pick up at your child’s school, make it a point to do your thinking time there.

Or, when you brush your teeth at night, you can have a short thinking session then.

Remember “Less but better.

Since you know what your priorities are, try to remove things from your life that are not priorities–or postpone them.

As often as you can, take things off of your to-do list, decline events that are unimportant to you, and find ways to say no. Or, if you need help postponing, try someday –maybe –later lists.

Your Comments……

Doing so can bring you calm as getting these out of your head and down on paper or electronically means your brain won’t need to keep reminding you of them.

Create buffer zones. 

People often underestimate how long it takes to accomplish specific tasks.

Making sure you overestimate how long things take you by padding your schedule helps reduce stress from feeling rushed or squeezed.

For example, new parents learn that when they add children to the mix, even the simplest tasks can take longer.

Likewise, during the early part of the school year, it’s best to overestimate how long the transition to a new grade and classroom will last for your child and how much emotional energy it will require.

If you liked this article from DAYAL why not share it?

Now you have time to think?