Guest Post: Do It, Dump It, or Delegate It? Decide! Six Steps to Taking Back Your Schedule! by Coach Susan Bohenko

“I just don’t have the time!”  Isn’t that what everyone is saying these days?  That’s a horrible place to be, don’t you think?  Always feeling like you’re running but can never catch up, that there’s always more to do than hours to do it, that you have absolutely no time for yourself!  I like to take a different approach to time-management.   Instead of figuring how to fit more into a client’s day, we try to figure out how to fit more of what she WANTS into her day.  You see, when someone says they are time-challenged there is something missing in her life.  Ask yourself, “If I had one extra hour in my day, how would I spend it?”  That will be a good indicator of what’s missing for you.  Here are some steps you can take to start addressing your own battles with the clock:

1. Set your goals- Honestly, if you never determine what is truly important in your life, what you value and hold dear, how do you know what you SHOULD be doing?  I recommend clients spend some time thinking about what they want their lives to look like, who they want to be, how they want to live.  Write down those goals.  This is the compass by which you direct your life.
2. Examine your current schedule-Are there activities you do that do not reflect the goals in your life?  Are there committees or obligations to which you have committed that just don’t fulfill you?  How are you spending your “free” time?  If TV or internet surfing is taking over these precious hours, determine their value based on your goals.  These are the items that need to get dumped! 
3.  Can you Delegate anything? – Are you doing things that could be done better by someone else, or that you could get help on, or you could pay someone to do?  If your schedule is littered with work that either you don’t like or that you just aren’t good at, consider outsourcing.
4. Become PRO-active vs. RE- active- If you’re proactive, you create your day, if you’re reactive, your day creates you.  Now that you know what you SHOULD be doing, fill in your schedule with the actions that support those goals.  Since someone will always be requesting a piece of your day, be sure to plan and schedule those important actions first – and don’t let anyone mess with it!  Our schedules are most often sabotaged by us alone!  
5. Pick one thing you would really like to be a part of your daily or weekly schedule – obviously this is something that reflects your personal goals.    Put that action item into your planner!  
6. Today it is just as important to schedule down-time into our calendars.  Taking time to reflect, refresh and renew, whether alone or with the ones we love, keeps us centered and on course.  Take your schedule back, your time is much too precious.  

 What are some of your ideas on managing your schedule? How do you squeeze in studying, exercise, family time, and work?

Susan Bohenko is a Certified Life Coach and Professional Organizer who has been helping busy women develop strategies for bringing more order and peace into their lives for the past 8 years.  You can contact Susan at sbohenko@comcast.net or visit her blog at www.sjbcoaching.wordpress.com.

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