Umm… NO! For those of you that have been following the newsletter, I have been posting all kinds of strategies on how to be more efficient at work like how to organize your day, how to get through your email faster and how to increase your level of focus. It’s all really good stuff but only part of the equation. So, if being more productive at work helps you get more done in less time, what do you do with all of the time you save…more work? That doesn’t make any sense.
The idea of having more time to do the things you really want to do is what time management is really all about. Believe it or not, once you embrace the habit of being more effective and efficient with your time at work, it can have huge benefits outside of your career. The managing your time habit can also become something known as a keystone or lynch-pin habit. This type of habit lays the foundation for creating other habits that serve you in a positive and fulfilling way.
Last week one of our Life-Balance Time Management Program participants mentioned that since she was running a more strategic calendar, mastering the art of “not right now” with her staff, and taming her email inbox; she finally has created extra time in her day. She decided to invest that extra time in herself by working out a few times a week. That is a huge step towards a lifestyle change for her. Without intending it, she now is charging forward with improving her life by getting in the habit of making time for exercise. She has even hired a personal trainer. Because of this change, it’s even more likely that her general well-being and outlook on life is going to improve. Think of the possibilities if she keeps going? This is all stemming from time management at work? Yep.
I did a little “time management lifestyle engineering” myself (I just made up that term, so no one steal it). I asked my wife this morning, “What is something nice you want to do tonight?” Over the past few months, we have gotten in the habit of creating time to sit down for dinner as a family at night. This simple act of slowing down to sit at the same table without any TV has been a nice way to bond as a family. We share what went on in our day, talk about things that are going on in the world, and just enjoy each other’s company without being distracted. (I’m sure this quaint picture will change once Logan is old enough to throw spaghetti.)
To keep going with the quality time idea, we thought it would be nice to have a “something nice tonight” habit. So, we decided that at 8:15 p.m. each night (or thereabouts) we would do something nice for one another WITHOUT the baby. It could be a neck rub, it could be a glass of wine and swapping stories, starting a warm fire, or even a quick workout together, whatever… as long as it was just us. We are simply building on the habit of spending quality time together. This will lead to more date nights and more cool family trips. And hopefully, our daughter will pick up on some of these habits and pass them on to her children.
Saving and managing time is something we all can figure out to do once we decide it’s important. The cool thing about saving anything is eventually you get to spend it. How you SPEND your saved time can truly have the greatest impact on your lifestyle. You can choose to spend it on having a healthier one; a more family-focused one, or maybe a lifestyle that is more “you-focused” for a change. I would love to hear about some of your “Time Management Lifestyle Engineering” changes. Let me know any cool ideas or “ah-ha’s” you have by sharing it on our facebook page.
