“Time has a wonderful way of showing what really matters”

A quote that really resonates with me and one I am holding onto at the moment. With a weekend just gone that was pretty hectic, a week of work and juggling childcare, a sports day, my daughter’s birthday and a move day, I think I could be forgiven for wondering just how I might find the time to get everything done. Oh, and chuck into the mix the fact that I am training for my first duathlon at the end of July. Yep, time is something I am in need of, and the quote is absolutely right, it has the ability to show us what really matters. So very true.

My Monday morning has begun with my usual making of my ever expanding ‘to do’ list. It felt rather clunky and I was jumping from one item to another with no sense of structure. My brain was busy and had so many things colliding that the disorganised thoughts were struggling to make any sense on the page. So I made a decision to breaks things down a bit into manageable pieces, as we know I do not like wasting time.  I took note of something I often use in my coaching sessions, a question that begins a useful task that I often set my clients. “What roles are you playing in your life?” Once you have asked yourself the question, make a list. It was a good time for me to revisit this. So I made my list which looked like this:

1. Jools’ Coach- being my own mentor
2. Mother
3. Partner
4. Coach- business
5. Family member
6. Friend
7. A creator!

So what does this list have to do with anything when it comes to writing a ‘to do’ list?

Effective Time Management

Well, it helps to manage time by breaking things down into roles or areas you play in life, it can help with getting clarity on where your time is going and if you feel you are putting enough time and energy into each of the areas.

As my own coach, I need to take time to do things for me and my growth. My development is a crucial part of the role I play in all other areas of my life. By giving myself time and looking after me, I then have the energy to do the same for others. Under my role as ‘Jools’ Coach’ I then made another list:

• 5km Run
• Meditation- 10 minutes
• Affirmations- 5 minutes
• Make a healthy lunch

As part of my to-do list for the day these are key actions I want to achieve. The list continues for my role as ‘Mother’:

• Prepare dinner
• Wrap birthday presents
• School pick-up and play date
• Homework
• Reading with both girls

This is a really effective tool to get you from the feeling of Overwhelm to a feeling of being in control and focused. I know for me that I can then look at what I have succeeded in completing at the end of the day, knowing that I have used my time in the most time efficient way because I have broken the tasks into manageable actions.

This is effective time management, have a go- you might just see a difference in the way you use and manage your time.