“Everyone has 24 hours in a day, it’s up to you what you do with them.”
My Grandmother was an extremely productive woman. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone get as much accomplished in a day as she did. Between working in the garden, running the household AND helping Grandpa run their business, she’d still have the time (and the energy) to knit during the evening news. She even had time to make the grand-kids feel special by making play dough or stringing beads with us.
When she set her mind to accomplishing something, she was determined to get it done. She made a plan. She used the resources she had and worked toward her goal.
When I got older, I asked her how she got so much done. Her answer: “Everyone has 24 hours in a day, it’s up to you what you do with them.”
Wow! What a good lesson. It’s up to me! I have the choice of how I spend my time! I have the choice to be productive or not. I have the choice of what I will accomplish!
I think about her words when I feel overwhelmed and unfocused.
You know, the times when you have too many things to do. Everything seems to be taking longer than you anticipated. You feel paralyzed. You don’t know what to start on first. You end up working on one thing and stress that you should be working on another.
You’re in a fog and feel overwhelmed.
So the question is…How do you break free of this overwhelm and accomplish more?
It’s not thinking you must do everything yourself. Rather, it is your ability to review your to-do list. Realistically identify those tasks that you must do now. Determine what tasks can be delayed for a later date. You may even eliminate some tasks because you determine they aren’t truly necessary. Then, you must decide what you should delegate.
The art of delegation is a great time management skill. For some, it is difficult to master.
If you suffer from the “I can do it faster myself” mindset, you will eat up a lot of your time and actually hamper the growth of your business and have less quality time with your family. You can overcome the “I don’t have the money to get help” voice in your head by outsourcing tasks to experts on an as needed basis.
I am passionate about helping business owners accomplish more through delegation, but I’m business owner too. I am faced with the same challenges. I must review my to-do list with the same scrutiny.
I must prioritize. I must determine when it’s time to put on my blinders, roll up my sleeves, and do what needs to be done. I must determine what can wait. I must delete some things from my list all together. Most importantly, I must know that it’s OK to ask for help and delegate.
Remember, it’s OK to ask for help. You will accomplish more.
So, with only 24 hours in the day, how will you choose to use your time?