Home
>
Time Management
>
Coping with the Time Crunch

Coping with the Time Crunch

"There is never enough time, unless you're serving it." -Malcolm Forbes (1919 - 1990)

My son is 17 months old. (OK, all you seasoned parents out there, stop laughing!) I work full time, commute an hour to work each day, cook most meals, attempt other household chores and try to carve out a small amount of time for myself and my partner each day. Did I mention the 2 dogs and 5 cats? I understand lack of time. In today's fast-paced, technology driven world, most of us feel stressed at not having enough time in each day to do what needs to be done. For parents, this pressure can be overwhelming. Not only are we trying to conduct our own lives in a manner that Oprah would be proud of (eating healthy, exercising daily, living our best life), and building relationships that even Dr. Phil couldn't find fault with, but we're also attempting to raise healthy, happy, well-adjusted children in a world that most often seems in direct opposition to those ideals. Where do we find time for family, work, personal development, the chores of daily living, oh, and sleep? The truth is, many of us don't. We do the "have to's", an occasional "want to" and feel guilty about not doing the rest.

Focus on Your Accomplishments

It seems to be human nature to beat ourselves up over the things we didn't get done, or didn't do as well as we'd hoped. These negative thoughts do nothing to improve your life. Instead of lying in bed at night frustrated over the mountain of work left undone, reflect on the things you did do. They don't have to be big things, even little things add up, and indeed, probably did add up to comprise the biggest portion of your day. A list might include:

made sure the kids ate breakfast

fed the dog

locked the front door

returned an important phone call

started a report

filled the car with gas

noticed that your child's picture had a great-looking tree in it

wiped off the kitchen counter

made macaroni and cheese for dinner

let the dog outside before he peed on the carpet

You accomplished hundreds of things today, and probably did them all well. There is no use in poisoning the way you feel about yourself by focusing on the things you did not get around to today.

Let Go of the Guilt

This may sound strange, but guilt is selfish. It takes away time and energy from you, your family, and other priorities. Know that you are making the best decisions you know how to make, and are doing the best you know how to do at any given moment, and allow yourself to feel good about those facts. Release yourself from the grip of guilt and allow positive feelings to take its place. As you start feeling better about yourself and less guilty, you may even find you have some extra energy at the end of the day or an extra smile for your child.

Really Consider Your Priorities

It makes sense to say we are going to focus on the positive and give up guilt, but being humans, it's not that easy to do. That's where priorities come into play. When you hear, or read, someone suggesting that you consider your priorities, what does that mean to you? For some, that means realizing that spending time with family is more important than extra time spent at work hopes of a promotion, for others it means studying and going back to school is more important than two hours in front of the TV at night.

These large-scope priorities are certainly important, but I suggest you even think on a more basic level than that; think on the level of day-to-day tasks. Ask if it is more important today for you to take a walk outside with your two-year old or to cook the meal you'd planned that will take an hour. Is it more important today to do the laundry or to read the childcare magazine that's been sitting on the kitchen table for a month? Is it more important today that you send a birthday card to your cousin or sweep the kitchen floor? What kind of mood are you in or is a family member in? Where will your energies make the most difference to you or your loved ones today, at this moment?

I'm not suggesting that the laundry can pile up for weeks or that you should always eat fast food. I am suggesting that you cannot do all of the things you want to do, so many of the things you can do should be done consciously, and you should feel good that you've made a choice about how to spend your valuable time.

You cannot make more time in a day, but you can reframe the way you think about what you accomplish during a limited amount of time. This will help you to feel better about yourself and your life. Celebrate your accomplishments, don't give guilt a chance to consume your energies, and make conscious choices about your priorities each day. The day is yours ? feel good about the ways you spend it!

The following information must be included if you reprint this article:

Dakota Duncan, Freelancer

Considering your own internet business? I've done a lot of searching and this is the BEST, most thorough course you'll find on the web, and it is FREE. Just send a blank email to: tamskjd@sitesell.net or go directly to http://services.sitesell.com/kjd.html

About The Author

Dakota Duncan has her degree in Cross-Cultural Counseling and Communication. She's spent much of her professional career working at a non-profit health organization located in the Pacific Northwest. The birth of her son in April of 2002 has had a profound impact on her life and her vision of the future.

http://services.sitesell.com/kjd.html

shuttle from Midway Glen Ellyn ..

In The News:

Technology expert Kim Komando gives her tips and tricks on enhancing your user experience a smartphone and other devices you use everyday.

A new camera called NUCA uses artificial intelligence to create deepfake photos of subjects by stripping away clothing in close to real time.

The Kimberley Kube trail-ready camper has a compact but spacious design and combines luxury, functionality and ruggedness for a weekend getaway.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Emails instructing you to reset your password for an account may be legitimate, or they may be scams. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.

Northrop Grumman's Manta Ray uncrewed underwater vehicle aims to revolutionize undersea missions — it glides through the ocean without human assistance.

Learn how to work Google's calendar application to streamline and organize your daily tasks from technology expert Kim Komando.

If you do not want Facebook to have automatic access to your private photos, follow our tips to protect yourself. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson goes into detail about Apple’s recent iOS update that allows iPhone users to instantly translate spoken language simply by using the Action Button.

Safeguarding your digital life with a reliable physical backup isn't just a precaution, it's a necessity. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides the essential backup checklist.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how a Redditor exposed false recycling claims at their apartment, highlighting a report that only 21% of U.S. recyclables are processed.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson offers a travel toolkit featuring five technology tools to help you with booking flights and hotels for your summer vacation.

The bubble behind the clock on your iPhone can appear in different colors. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains what each of those colors mean.

Scammers are using the power of artificial intelligence to mimic voices of people and are using the fake voices to commit crimes, like kidnappings.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the science behind the Invisibility Shield, a 6-foot shield that makes people become invisible.

The International Olympic Committee on Friday announced plans to use AI in various Olympic aspects, including athlete identification, training and judging.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains an easy trick to avoid squinting while working or surfing the web by zooming in on your personal computer.

Streaming giant Roku has recently been targeted by a pair of cyberattacks, and the company confirmed over a half million Roku accounts were compromised.

The Land Aircraft Carrier combines an all-terrain, six-wheeled vehicle with a two-seat aircraft, which features electric vertical takeoff and landing.

The European Union has sent TikTok a "request for information" on the video sharing platform's newest app, TikTok Lite, under the Digital Services Act, with the aim to clean up social media.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The FBI is warning the public about a recent phishing scam via text that claims its targets owe money in Pennsylvania for unpaid road toll charges.

Your Apple Music settings may be revealing to your contacts what you're listening to. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the process to change those settings.

Learn how to secure social media accounts, implement legacy contacts, and create a digital estate plan to protect your online assets from 'ghost hackers' after your death.

Coping with the Time Crunch

Time Management