6
Keys to Respecting Your Time
by
Maria Gracia
Are
you the type of person that always says YES to every demand
on your time? Can you watch my kids? Will you drive me to
soccer practice? You're so good at sewing; can you help
me make a party costume for my daughter? Would you mind
calling that person for me? Since you're already working
on the computer, would you mind typing me a letter?
Would
you say YES to almost every one of these requests?
There
is certainly no shortage of people looking for volunteers.
But the truth is that you can only do so much, before getting
stressed and exhausted.
One
important thing to remember is that the only way that others
are going to respect your time, is if YOU respect your time.
DO ONE OR TWO THINGS, AND DO THEM WELL. Rather than
volunteering at every school, church, organization or work
activity, pick one or two things and focus your efforts
on those. If someone else requests your time, let them know
you're committed to these one or two activities, and simply
cannot take on another.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ALL OR NOTHING. While you may
consider helping someone out with something, that certainly
doesn't mean you have to do it all. For example, rather
than serving on a committee, you may volunteer to make reminder
phone calls, or to type up the newsletter.
BARTER. If someone asks you to volunteer your time,
ask this person to volunteer their time right back. For
instance, if your friend asks you to baby sit tonight, ask
her if she can drive your son to school tomorrow.
NO GUTS-NO GLORY. If you have no intention of saying
YES, don't avoid the issue by saying, MAYBE, or IF I HAVE
TIME. While this may temporarily alleviate your guilt, it's
unfair to the other person, and you'll be wasting time fretting
over what excuse you're going to give to this person. Just
say No. And don't feel guilty about saying No, because you
want to spend some quality time with your family, or you
need some personal time alone.
TAME YOUR TO DO LIST. Your To Do List should not
be ten pages long. Good time management is picking and choosing
those items that are truly important and saying NO to those
that are not important at all. Force yourself to limit the
amount of items on your To Do List.
DO IT BECAUSE YOU WANT TO. While there are some situations
that are to be considered emergencies--such as helping an
ill relative or friend-- there are many other requests for
your time that you simply don't have to do. The best rule
of thumb is to choose those activities that you TRULY WANT
TO DO--those things that will make you happy. If someone
asks you for your time, and you find yourself thinking,
'Oh, no', then don't do it.
by
Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!
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