| SolveYourProblem Article Series: Time Management
How Can I Manage My Time Better?
3
Things That Drain Your Time, Energy and Resources – Part
I
Despite your best efforts at time management,
you may find yourself facing serious drains on your time, energy
and resources. Unless you deal with the causes of these drains
and “plug the holes,” so to speak, you’ll forever keep running
in circles as you try desperately to stay in control.
Below are three major things that can drain your time, energy
and resources; and what to do about them:
Distraction
Have
you ever had those days where you just can’t seem to focus?
Even the simplest tasks make you feel overwhelmed
because you already have a million things on your mind. Distraction
is usually caused by chaotic surroundings, scattered thoughts,
or lack of a clear plan. When you’re distracted, you are
not working at an optimal level. How
to deal with distraction: The best way I’ve found to deal
with it is by first finding a quiet place to think and plan.
Grab a notebook and pen and make a list of the things you really
need to get done as soon as possible. Try to organize your
thoughts by putting them down in written form (this alone helps
immensely!). If your distraction is caused by chaotic surroundings
you may need to find a quieter place to work, or if that’s
impossible you might simply use headphones or earplugs to blot
out as much noise as possible. Most important is to simply
have a plan of action; a clear idea of what you need to get
done and how you’re going to go about completing it.
Poor
health habits
Believe
it or not, poor health habits can have a powerful negative
impact on the rest of your life.
When you don’t get enough rest, don’t eat nutritious food
or when you try to live on caffeine and sugar, your body
and brain
cannot function at an optimal level! They just don’t have
the fuel necessary to meet the demands your busy schedule
places
on them. As a result you end up feeling fatigued, cranky,
distracted and mentally foggy. In a very real sense, poor
health habits
create a big “hole” through which your energy consistently
drains, leaving you with the inability to meet the demands
of your life. How
to plug the hole: The answer is obvious; start taking
proper care of yourself! Make it a priority to get adequate
sleep each night, schedule in time for exercise and proper
meal-planning, and don’t forget to make time for fun, recreation
and personal time. Though it seems like these activities will
“take away” time from your already-overloaded schedule, you’ll
find yourself with much more energy and stamina so you end
up being able to accomplish more than you would otherwise.
Unresolved emotional issues
If
you’ve ever had an emotional burden weighing heavily
on you, you’re all too familiar with
the way it can drain your energy. Unresolved emotional
issues can range from anger and resentment about current
problems
to grief and trauma from past experiences. Avoiding dealing
with these issues will cause you to feel like you’re moving
underwater. You’ll feel sluggish, weighed down and held
back from creating a more balanced life. How
to resolve emotional issues: It may sound overly simplistic,
but working through them is the best way to resolve them once
and for all! If you still hold a lot of anger toward someone
in your past and refuse to forgive them, you’re only going
to keep harming yourself. Likewise, if you feel angry or resentful
toward someone in your life right now, avoiding the issue will
only make it worse. Instead, make a strong effort to work through
these situations. There are numerous ways to do so, from having
a heartfelt talk with the person you’re angry with, to journaling
your feelings, to working with a qualified therapist. The most
important thing is to work through any pain, trauma, anger
or resentment you are holding inside so you can finally release
it and achieve closure. Once you do that, you will find yourself
feeling much lighter and freer – which will provide the space
you need to better balance your life.
In
Part II of this article, we’ll cover two more destructive
drains and effective strategies for plugging them.
# # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2009
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