TIME WELL SPENT
I’ll admit it: Last week I struggled to get this blog completed in time. I try to have a final draft polished by Thursday night, ready to hit send in the morning. Unfortunately even the best-laid plans go awry and come Friday I was editing and re-editing when I would otherwise be wrapping up my other projects.
We have all experienced the swelling anxiety that comes as the hours tick by and our “to do” list remains dauntingly long. A quick Google search will deliver ample suggestions on new systems you can implement to streamline the way you spend your time. I’ve found that the solution to managing this most precious of diminishing resources is not what you need to start doing, but rather to consider the things that you need to stop doing. In other words, take a step back to understand the tasks, habits and people that are consuming your time and energy and then ask yourself, “Is this really providing a return on investment?” If you struggle to answer the question, you’re not alone. A lot of people have trouble determining what is really an effective use of their time.
A recent group coaching discussion touched on the “value meter.” The value meter is a helpful exercise to draw a distinction between time spent wisely and time wasted on distractions or roadblocks. To access your internal “value meter,” sit quietly and consider how you spend your time - the tasks you tackle, the people you interact with, the things you read, etc. Evaluate how each meeting, task, habit, or chat with a colleague impacts you - emotionally, energetically, intellectually and physically. Are they additive experiences, helping you to meet your goals and remain balanced, or depleting, making you feel worse off? What steps need to be taken for you to stop spending time on people or tasks that don’t serve you?
This blog stands as testimony to the fact that the value meter can help you make better use of your schedule. It’s Friday morning – just a couple of days after I deployed my value meter for the first time – and I’m about to hit send on a blog that was polished and ready to go on Thursday night. How’s that for time well spent?
Happy Friday.
