In the past 3 weeks I have had a 4 day week; a 3 day week; and thanks to sleeping for all but 16 hours of 4 days; another 3 day week. Consequently, I am slightly frazzled about all I have to do and the severe lack of time I have to get it done in.
But, (A-HA!) I have a plan. This is a great article I found through Twitter last week, the Not To Do List. 9 things to stop doing now, to free your time up to do other stuff. I love it, I’ve already set up the diary reminders so that I only look at emails twice a day, something I did try to do but now am attempting religiously, and the mail alert telling people when I am looking at my emails, if they want me – call me.
I sent it on to all the boys at work, J particularly loved it. And I am now concentrating on 1 thing a day. ONE THING. So today, I pulled together the 7 kits for the Outreach Mission, they leave on Saturday. I collated all their e-tickets, insurance, paperwork, pre-reading, post-reading, coaching materials, everything I could think of that they would need, it took me nearly all day. But because I was focussed on getting 1 thing done, and worked methodically to getting that done, I did it. I didn’t feel rushed, harrassed, harried, I didn’t keep chopping and changing and faff-arsing about with other stuff. If something came in, I put it to one side and I actually used my time management skills, I addressed and stamped all the post in one sitting for another example.
I do try and work like this all the time, but as you know I am being pulled about in all sorts of directions, but slowly, surely I am starting to sit up straighter and say ‘No’. It’s a steep learning curve. I’ll get there one day.