It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about? ~Mother Theresa
To each of us is given a very precious commodity – time. It marks our years, our months, our days, our moments. For some, time creeps along painfully slow – for others, time seems to evaporate. Rich or poor, we all are given the same 86,400 seconds each day.
How did you spend the first 2,592,000 seconds in January? More importantly, how will you spend the remaining seconds in 2016? While some moments you can plan, other moments just happen.
Mid-January we had a power surge that fried my computer. I had not planned on purchasing a new system or on spending the time needed for recovery and learning new software, but I did. All the while, time was quietly and continually marching on. I could not purchase more of it or save what I had. I simply had to use it.
Too often we let life happen and then are frustrated by the outcome. People who continue to flourish, create a plan for what they would like their life to look like and are able to adjust that plan when challenges come. When you look back over the past year, has your life improved? Did you learn new skills, experience powerful moments, deepen important relationships – or did you just let time pass?
What is your plan for this year? Would you like to advance your career? Learn a new skill? Increase your confidence? You can! Spend some time thinking about what your would like to accomplish in 2016 and what steps you will need to take to move you in that direction.
Whatever your goals may be, improving your soft skills will enhance every area of your life. Make plans today to attend a course, schedule private coaching, or seek out a mentor. Don’t be fooled into thinking that everyone else has mastered soft skills. They haven’t. We all benefit from sharpening our interpersonal skills.
Whatever you do, don’t squander your time this year on things that don’t matter or on people who don’t enjoy your presence.
©2016 What Would Mrs King Do? If you would like to use this article in your newsletter or blog, you may do so. Please include our credit information: Written by Deborah King, What Would Mrs King Do? © Copyright 2016. I would also appreciate it if you would send us a copy for our files to [email protected]. If you would like to learn more about social skills contact Final Touch Finishing School, Inc.
Dear Mrs King,
I absolutely agree with everything you wrote and am especially grateful for the articles about the qualities of a lady.
I wish I could plan and use my time wisely to pursue my goal – I already understood that my first priority should be me, my peace of mind and sanity. Now, given my circumstances , I have to face really tough choices every time of a day – to take a much needed nap or to uplift my soul (meditation or reading – can’t live without), to have a quick meal or to step out for a quick walk to regain my bearings and feel sane again with kids.
I noticed that no matter how hard I work or how well I plan, I can’t squeeze even these four basics of self care I decided upon ( shower, step out, nap, read) in one single day, forget about quiet time for reflection and reevaluation of my progress in self-improvement or working on my appearance or exercising, which is also a priority.
I agree we all have the same amount of time each day. I already lowered my standards of running a household and I try to live clutter-free. Maybe I am too slow, and/or my life is too hard, but honestly,I can’t move faster or work harder than I already do- I already exhausted those reserves. And multitasking never worked for me-if I listen to a recorded class I have to concentrate and even take notes, forget about peeling potatoes or doing dishes like many do.
When I plan wisely and save some time, some unexpected emergency comes with a crash and burns out those precious minutes and much more, leaving me completely exhausted and behind in my daily routines. And I am an organized person who would never neglect things and let them built themselves up into emergencies.
I agree and greatly appreciate your ideas, but I wonder if there is a hope for me to apply them
or a new way of thinking , a direction, so to say.
Thank you for an excellent reading material you provide us with.
shoshana
Dear Shoshana,
Managing our time is never as easy as one, two, three, and each of us work at a different level. I do believe there is hope for you! Setting small daily goals that are realistic is the beginning. When I plan my schedule I always focus on what is important, what would be nice, and what could wait if necessary. At the end of the day, if I only accomplish what is important, I am pleased. Interruptions do happen – that is called life. For that reason, I leave time in my day for flexibility. If I overpack my day with a to-do list I am stressed. For me, relationships are most important. I work hard to place them first and fit everything else around them.