Is it Monday morning, 11 a.m. and you are already wondering how the heck you are going to fit everything into your crazy busy week? It's not just work related tasks, if your list is like mine it includes work, home, family, friends, kids, hockey, basketball, more hockey, gym and of course the secondary issues like EATING and SLEEPING! Too often our demanding lifestyles result in too little time to accomplish all we demand of ourselves. So, what happens when you run out of week and how do you fix it? I asked my teenaged son this question and here was his wordy response. "Move on… don’t worry….do it next week… " Oh the life of a teenager!
Taking into account that we understand the possible outcome by following a teenager’s advice, when you run out of week there are two things to consider:
1. How do I fix my immediate situation?
2. How do I prevent this from happening over and over again every week?
Here are some helpful tips to use when you find that you regularly “Run Out of Week”
Daily Time Management – Rather than waiting until mid afternoon to find that your day has derailed, break your day into hourly checkpoints to monitor your work flow.
Prioritize – STOP. MAKE A LIST. What are the absolute critical duties that must be done today that absolutely cannot wait until tomorrow.
Delegation – Some days you just can’t do it all. Find the key people in your life you know you can lean on when the day gets crazy and use them. (Don’t forget to appreciate their extra efforts as they have their own agenda too)
Exercise/Diet – At some point you are going to have to make a choice whether to grab a burger and keep going or grab a healthy alternative and keep going. Pick the healthy choice and you will feel more motivated and less tired.
Be Prepared – I pack a “just in case bag”. Mine includes a change of clothes, an extra pair of shoes, water, snacks, one protein bar (only one because if I'm really hungry or I would eat them all) and a few other odds and ends. If I work late it makes the transition to my next stop easier.
How do you prevent this from ever happening again? You Don’t. You can only organize and prepare as best as possible for what the work week throws at you. By following basic time management practices, prioritizing your duties and delegating when necessary “running out of week” shouldn’t turn into a weekly occurrence!
Wishing you a wonderful work week! Barb Bruce - MyRadius Consulting.
