{"id":5609,"date":"2018-05-01T15:03:41","date_gmt":"2018-05-01T19:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/?p=5609"},"modified":"2018-10-09T17:17:11","modified_gmt":"2018-10-09T21:17:11","slug":"365169-taming-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/365169-taming-time\/","title":{"rendered":"365+#169: Taming Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Sometimes our lives are cluttered with things. Sometimes it\u2019s things to do<\/em> that clutter our mind and time. I wonder if I will ever get my To Do list done before I die. Sure, I make time to nap, read, recreate, and take vacations so it\u2019s not like I don\u2019t take breaks, but still I wonder if I will ever really get caught up. So here\u2019s a collection of tips I\u2019ve developed over the years to deal with taming time.<\/p>\n

1. Pray first:<\/strong> Even if you\u2019re not \u201creligious,\u201d taking time daily to contemplate who I am and what\u2019s important \u2013 is important. If I wait till there\u2019s time, other priorities crowd out this spiritual time. Now that we are no longer in the active parenting stage of life, first thing in the morning works for me. For those with other bio-rhythms last thing at night can qualify as first<\/em> in anticipation of the next day.<\/p>\n

2. Set priorities:<\/strong> Most time-management gurus advise identifying no more 3 priorities that you hope to accomplish each day. Do those first, starting with the top priority. This is good unless your top priority is to create world peace or it becomes a day long project. Solution<\/strong>: Estimate the time your top priorities will take and if one might take more than 1\/3 of your working day, reevaluate. Set deadlines. Exception:<\/strong> 3 Minute Rule. If several things are not top priorities but are quick and easy, do them early.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>3. Keep a To Do List:<\/strong> Consider a To Do list not as a burden but rather a tool that frees you of the stress of keeping everything in your head. Some things are necessary and have a deadline; others are nice to do if time allows. One beauty of a To Do list is the satisfaction and joy of crossing tasks off (in red<\/span>) when accomplished. My daughter recently co-authored a playful Wall Street Journal article, America Is Drowning in Lists<\/a><\/em><\/span>, which includes ideas from the Ivy Lee Method<\/a><\/span> to Bullet Journals<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

4. Develop Email\/Text\/Phone Protocols<\/strong>: Only check emails after your basic priorities for the day are set lest you wallow in email purgatory before starting the important stuff. However, email does allow you to identify some 3 Minute Rule tasks from your To Do list and quickly cross them off.<\/p>\n