Feeling more accomplished is a state of mind that comes when you perceive you are on top of the things in your life, as opposed to being weighed down by everything.
We all know people that just seem to go through life as if they are Superwoman – balancing a busy career, raising a family, staying in shape, keeping in touch with friends, and even remembering to buy those thoughtful gifts for birthdays and anniversaries.
How does she do it? While she may be amazing, she probably doesn’t have actual superpowers. What she probably does have is structure in her life allowing her to get more accomplished. This can be you as well.
Here is how you can feel more accomplished with four easy tips:
- Keep a central list. This is a place where everything you must get done lives. Think of it as a master record of all your to dos for the upcoming days, weeks, and months ahead. Sounds long? Maybe, but you will feel a sense of relief for not having to remember all those nagging tasks. Divide the list into two sections: Essential and Non-Essential. Anything that is important or time sensitive goes under Essential and anything else goes under Non-Essential. If you are glued to your iPhone (as so many of us are), the notes app is a good place to keep the list.
- Set daily priorities. Dedicate 5 minutes each morning to set your top priorities for the day. These are the tasks that you must get done today above all others. You can reference your central list to help with setting these daily priorities. Try to keep the priorities to a manageable number, less is more, and the key is to avoid becoming overwhelmed with too many tasks in a day. Having about 3 to 5 priorities is a reasonable guideline.
- Eliminate time wasters. We all have them. For me it was Facebook which I ultimately had to remove from my iPhone. For others it may be a chatty co-worker, reading every email that enters your inbox, or attending pointless meetings. Whatever your situation, take note of the unnecessary activities that slow down your progress and decide to eliminate, reduce, or delegate the activity. Your days will become much more efficient as a result.
- Be flexible. Things come up, that is life. You may have a sick child to care for, it may be pouring rain and you postpone your run, or you now need to stay late at work to meet a deadline and miss the monthly Girls Night Out. Life does get in the way at times and that is ok. It is important to be flexible and to recognize that priorities may need to shift to accommodate the unexpected. Superwoman would agree.
#time management, # productivity
