Category

Time Management

The Art of Subtraction: Good Time Management Skills

By Life coaching skills, Time Management No Comments

With the waves of technology hitting our personal shores there are so many things that can “steal” our attention and precious time. Yes, it’s fun to see what’s been posted on YouTube or Facebook. Yes, answering emails has become a chore. Yes, the new Ipad is a sensation (particularly with color), but all of these activities take time, and there is only so much time in the day. No app is ever going to change this. It has been suggested that these e-toys are so alluring that people are taking them to bed to play/use. Despite all the advances of technology, one thing that technology hasn’t done is add more hours to the day. We still only have 24 hours, 8 of which we are essential for sleep. People, in an effort to have more screen time, are shaving off minutes, even hours off of precious sleep time. Not Good! One of the first rules in time management is to see where precious time is slipping away. Experts call these acts, “time robbers,” because they steal quality time away from family, friends, jobs, marriages and personal time. Procrastination, while still a time robber, has taken a back seat to tech time (also known as screen addictions). Life imitates art as people become cast members of TRON falling into cyberspace and not being able to get back out easily. The art of subtraction suggests to start cutting back on those things that steal time away from you each day. Rather than adding something new to the mix and feeling choked at the end of the day, be emboldened to subtract something that is stealing time from your life and quality of life.

Stress Tip for the Day:
Time to start subtracting. What are your time robbers? Who are your time robbers (yes, they can be people too!) The average person watches 20-30 hours of television a week (that’s almost a full time job!) Do you multitask (eat dinner while checking email or talk on the phone while surfing the Internet)? Take inventory of your life and see what are the real time robbers in your life. The make a plan to create heathly boundaries to pull the reins in on your life.

Links/Books/ Movies Worth Noting:
There is no shortage of information on the webs about time management.
Here is one of many links:
www.uic.edu/orgs/wisest/initiatives2/…/Time%20management%20tips.pdf

Quote for the Day:
“I am definitely going to take a course on time management… just as soon as I can work it into my schedule.” – Louis E. Boone

Photo for the Day:
Not a photo, but a powerful image of trying to control time. Enjoy!

Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of stress management, mind-body-spirit healing and stress and human spirituality. He is the author of over 10 books including the bestsellers, Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water, Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward, The Art of Calm, Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart and Managing Stress (6E). He can be reached through his website:www.brianlukeseaward.net

© Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.