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.
