By Kimberly Bryant
Everyone seems to want more time. What for? Time management is really about finding more time to do what you really want to do.
Quality time
Your Palm handheld is an excellent time management tool. Right out of the box, it's equipped with two powerful resources: the Date Book and the To Do List.
Let's look at your Palm Date Book. This is a good time to start with the end in mind. What is it you're trying to fit in? More free time? Quality time with your friends or loved ones? Schedule blocks of time each month for what you consider most important. Get your priorities straight in your Date Book. Block out a weekend away. Schedule in that spa day or overnight camping trip. Use chunks of time each month for yourself--for skiing, golf, volunteering, meaningful relationships, etc.
Get the important stuff in first! These are the activities or rest periods that feed you and give you energy. Everyone needs these to keep their spirits and motivation up, but they're especially important for over-achievers. Practice taking time for yourself. Take moments between tasks to acknowledge where you have been and to get control over yourself. It gets easier as you practice putting yourself first.
What should you do with the rest of your time? Enter your work hours, including after-hours events and driving time. Then, add in some more things that remind you that you love yourself. Put in a massage, lunch with a friend, or a trip to the hot springs. Add a leisurely afternoon walk several times a week. Schedule you in!
What you really love to do is now in your schedule. What about the rest of what you need to do? The remainder of my tips will address that.
Finish what you start
First of all, focus on completing everything you've already started. Highlight or make a separate list of the things you need to do to restore your integrity. If your To Do List is daunting, you'll feel better immediately when you start taking care of the things you've promised to do. Handle your commitments and responsibilities.
If it's taking you months to complete all the things you've started, then practice limiting your commitments. Do you know how? Say, "No, thank you," to new opportunities. Or, say, "Maybe," and then sleep on it before you accept any new responsibilities. Say, "I'm taking a few months off from new activities so I can catch up." Say, "My coach says I need a break, and I'm practicing being less busy." Then finish the things you've started. Schedule time to complete the projects on your list and spend time getting organized. What's bugging you? Eliminate clutter and make more space. What is your biggest time-management problem? Solve it permanently.
