Take a few moments and think about how you spend your time. Does your work extend beyond the standard 40 hours per week? How do you spend your time when you're not working--in front of the TV with the remote control, entertaining, socializing, involved in a hobby or developing your skills and knowledge?
Working a standard 40 hours per week equates to 260 days per year. Of course, a portion of that time could very well be devoted to job training and excused time off. The remaining 105 days are devoted to other activities. As a parent, student, career profession or business owner, your effectiveness depends upon how well you balance your time management between working, learning and playing (social activities). There are no patent answers that apply to everyone because we don't all have the same set of circumstances. Nevertheless, if your life is tilted to one extreme you will inevitably be forced to face your shortfall. For example, a heavy workload will likely put a strain on your family life or result in unhealthy levels of stress. Sitting in front of the TV with a remote in hand anytime you have "free time" could find you on the short end of career advancement or at a disadvantage with your competitors. There has to be a healthy mix in your time management. With that in mind, jot down your "ideal" time allocation in percentages:
1. Working ____
2. Learning ____
3. Playing ____
This allocation represents a reasonable balance in your total activities. Let's take the President of the United States as an example. Without a doubt, this is the most stressful job in the nation, if not the world, whose decisions can impact its global citizenship. Image how overwhelming his life would be without taking time-outs to play or watch sports, go on regular pilgrimages to Camp David, occasional date nights, intermingling family time during long trips overseas, quarterly vacations or attending public social events with friends. Not to mention how his private life would suffer.
You may or may not work in a pressure cooker environment but, either way, the same time management principles apply regardless of your vocation or endeavors. Once you've laid out a balanced allocation of your time, the next order of business is to establish your priorities--on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being your highest priority:
Job
Family
Yourself
Friends
Church
Education
Community
Organizations
Recreation
Charity
Your list of priorities will depend upon your personal set of circumstances--whether you're married, single, a student, career professional, business owner, caring or aging parents, etc. Your rating should be in alignment with your Learn, Earn and Play allocations.
The mistake most people make in setting priorities is that they place themselves at the bottom of the list. Big mistake! Regardless of what the demands are in your life, YOU should be at the very top of your list of priorities at ALL times--even if it means saying "no" or eliminating some activities. If YOU are not right, your entire life will be imbalanced, which can lead to burn out, frustration, stress, temptations, loneliness and an unhealthy home. But, when you get YOU in the proper place, everything else can, and should, fall into place.
