Ahh, the glamorous life of a working mom. You rise before the crack of dawn, grab a cup of coffee, let the dog out, start a load of laundry, shower, apply make up, decide what to wear, don the perfect pair of pumps, make school lunches, make breakfast for the family, feed the dog… and then get the rest of the house up and out the door before heading off to work yourself.
So you think you have everything under control? Right? Wrong! After a full day at the office you return home, throw dinner together before soccer practice, get your child dressed for soccer, search for his soccer equipment and drive to the soccer field in time for practice.
But your day is not over yet. Homework remains, followed by a quick shower to remove the icky soccer smells and then bedtime—not yours, the kids! Clean up the kitchen, set the coffee maker for the next morning and then, you can relax. Of course by this time it is actually your bedtime as well so that you can get up at 5:30 a.m. and start the whole fun process again.
Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t trade my life for all the coffee in Seattle but admittedly it does get hectic at times. Surprisingly, I’ve had friends and colleagues ask how I stay so organized with everything going on. They say that the busier you are the more organized you are. The trick is of course time management. Those of you looking for a better way to organize your schedule and manage your time I have two words – Franklin Covey.
Keep reading… I don’t work for Franklin Covey in any way, shape or form. I just happen to run my schedule that way. I’ve been following their system since attending a conference back in the 1990s. If you have not attended a time management seminar I highly recommend it.
One of the most powerful things I learned was the ability to say ‘no’. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Does this sound familiar: your desk is piled high with projects demanding your attention, half the items on your ‘to do’ list are crossed off and it is now 3:30 p.m. A colleague walks over to your desk and asks, “Can you help me with this power point presentation? I can’t figure out how to …” You look around at all that remains to be accomplished and your first reaction (after silently running through a few expletives in your head) is in fact to say no.
But then, something happens as you begin uttering the word. “Nnnnnsure!” And, just like that you’re off track and the list just got even longer as did your day. Is it any wonder you’re stressing over trying to get everything done?
William Penn said, “Time is what we want most but what we use worst.”
Whether you choose Franklin Covey or another brand, attending a time management seminar is critical to implementing and consistently utilizing an effective system. You can read all about a particular type of product but until you hear how it can be applied to your everyday life you won’t have an appreciation for the difference it can make in balancing career, family, and making time for yourself. It can be done and you can still keep your sanity.
Guest Blogger: Linde Hyder
email: lhyder@prutropical.net
727.569.2328
