What is the best use of my time today?
How often do we even ask ourselves that question? If you are tired of running in circles and getting pulled by the needs of other people in your world, try this exercise for a week.
Ask your self these two questions every day.
If I only get one thing done today, what is the most important thing for today?
What is the highest value use of my talent and skills today?
Setting a clear intention and focus for one day at time will help you accomplish the most important things even in the middle of a chaotic day. The second idea is to focus on the things that you do best and create value for you. My biggest challenge in working from home is to not get caught up in doing small tasks around the house instead of productive work on my business.
It would be easy for me to stay busy all day long; my hardest question at the end of the day was my day busy and spent of high value projects or just busy?
Gwen is a life transitions coach who looks forward to your email at gpspiral@gmail.com [1]. You will gain balance in health, life and play from coaching with Gwen. She is a regular contributor to Lumigrate's forum on life and health coaching (www.lumigrate.com/forums/integrative-medicine-parts-make-whole/therapy-behavioralmental-health/life-and-health-coaches [2]) and has her own website presence for more learning if you follow to www.gpspiralconsulting.com [3]
Links:
[1] mailto:gpspiral@gmail.com
[2] http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/integrative-medicine-parts-make-whole/therapy-behavioralmental-health/life-and-health-coaches
[3] http://www.gpspiralconsulting.com/
[4] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/are-you-too-busy-think#comment-483
[5] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/are-you-too-busy-think#top
[6] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/login?destination=node/326%23comment-form
[7] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/register?destination=node/326%23comment-form
[8] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/are-you-too-busy-think#comment-484
[9] http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/integrative-medicine-parts-make-whole/therapy-occupational/hobbies-and-leisure-activities
[10] http://twitter.com/lumigrate
[11] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/are-you-too-busy-think#comment-490
Comments
Gwen:
I'm bit lost. Please define a little more for me what you mean. My time is best spent taking care of things for my family, i.e. laundry, dishes, cleaning the house (when I can) and all this when I'm not working of course. However, my personal valued time is when I'm crafting. This is when I feel most productive though it's not considered productive by others.
I also work with my dog, Lucy once or twice a week just to keep her up on her obedience training, take care of plants on the patio when necessary.... With FMS definitions, for me at least, have become extremely important in order to remove any confusions.
Take care and be well.
Ellen
Good to see you asking a question of Gwen (who I just put an introduction about which she likely will be able to spiff up in the future .... Kind of patching something related to dragging Word characters in and the website putting in TWO identical entries, which it does sometimes .. and I can't see where to 'prune' which I've done in the past... so creatively fixing this new section up). The OT in me just had to hop in about hobies and crafts --- and wanted to let you know I just this weekend started a Forum under Occupational Therapy for crafts, hobbies, leisure. I'm really wanting something in that area about pets, so hope the dog and cat and horse lovers in the group will enjoy writing and reading about what they 'get' from their animals. Anything that 'occupies time' is an occupation..... so that's interesting Gwen focuses on time from her perspective with coaching.
Here's the link to the hobbies and leisure activities Forum within the Occupational Therapy area....
www.lumigrate.com/forums/integrative-medicine-parts-make-whole/therapy-occupational/hobbies-and-leisure-activities [9]
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [10] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
Ellen
Good question on what is high value time or the best use of your time. What I ask people to consider is how do you set aside time that adds value or improves your day ? When an activity adds energy to you and gives you a positive boost- I would define that as a high value activity. When an activity drains you physically or mentally- I would call that a negative or low value activity. What makes me scattered is when I spend too much time doing the little catch up things that are required of life. What keeps me centered and gives me energy is spending time on my big idea projects or allowing time for mental quiet time. It can be interesting to list everything you do in one day as a positive, negative or neutral.- By your definitions of course.
Gwen
Gwen is a life transitions coach who looks forward to your email at gpspiral@gmail.com [1]. You will gain balance in health, life and play from coaching with Gwen. She is a regular contributor to Lumigrate's forum on life and health coaching (www.lumigrate.com/forums/integrative-medicine-parts-make-whole/therapy-behavioralmental-health/life-and-health-coaches [2]) and has her own website presence for more learning if you follow to www.gpspiralconsulting.com [3]