Starting a new business has made me painfully aware of how much STUFF working parents have to fit into their lives.
I am struggling to do all the things I need to do, plus the fun stuff, plus the stuff for setting up the business and it is starting to show.
I have been staying up far too late at night reading or playing on the computer as I have been trying to get other stuff done during the day like phoning potential customers, filling in insurance forms and buying ladders.
I cracked last night when poor Tareka brought home cheese and crackers for me. In between sobs I wailed “I don’t know what to do FIRST!” I don’t have enough hours in the day to do everything, but I don’t want to give up ALL of my hobbies or I will go insane!”
He had some wise words which really struck a chord for me, and which I am trying to follow. His boss told him the key to effective time management is to ask yourself these 2 questions.
Is it urgent?
Is it important?
Most people spend the majority of their time doing non-urgent, unimportant things so it is easy to see how we don’t have time to get everything done.
I am going to ask myself these questions each day to determine what things I need to focus on, and if I have time to spare when they are done, I can think about the non-urgent, unimportant stuff.
Now to get back to the very urgent and important tasks of checking emails, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and all my other message boards.
7 comments:
We'll be with you soon - then we can take some of your jobs off your hands!
It would be more helpful if you would take the kids off my hands :)
There's a book called Getting Things Done you might find useful too.
Love and kisses
Jadeviper
I seem to remember a chart in one of our science classrooms that may be usefull. Wasn't it something along the lines of [worth doing ,not worth doing] along the vertical, and [can be bothered,can't be bothered] along the horizontal hope it helps.
Paul
and here I am bringing mine to you soon. I definitely have some catching up to do if you'd like to send yours to me for the last few days of the holidays? or double time in the next holidays.
Hey Liz, your kids are on the Important list :) To be honest, they will keep my kids entertained, so I will be able to get on with more stuff!!
(the other post got deleted as I can't edit my comments!)
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