For the past few weeks we have been talking about how you can make sure that your day is aligned with your priorities and purpose.
Scheduling your day can be challenging for many. (This is especially true if others add activities to your calender! I have had others adding to my calender for over a decade now!)
Today I'll talk about how you put the pieces together to schedule your day.
Schedule the Boulders First
I'm sure that you have heard the story of the college professor that talks with his students about boulders, rocks, pebbles, sand and water…. The end result is that he teaches them how to focus on priorities. It cycles internet email forwards about every year or so. However, no matter how many times you have read it, it is still true. Check out the video below where I have attempted to recreate the experiment.
When you look at your schedule, what do you consider the most important chunks? When you worked through your priorities and goals, did you check to see how much on your calendar matched what you said was important?
Schedule Appointments with Yourself
So often we put things on our calendars that are appointments with others, but not with ourselves. Is that you? I have to admit, I was not good at this, however now that I have others that add to my calendar I have gotten much better.
By writing priority activities to your schedule, you are giving them the honor they deserve.
Recognize Activities for Their Value
Pagers, iPhones, PDAs, Instant Messaging, Twitter, email, phone… the list goes on and on. Why, with all of the ways that we can connect with one another, it is amazing that we get any sleep at all! Now, don't get me wrong, I think that all of the ways to communicate are fabulous if they are used in the appropriate balance with everything else. For some, these tools are a connection to the lifeline of their business. For others, it is a distraction from what will really take things skyrocketing.
Your Priority May be Someone Else's Goofing Off
Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” ~John Lubbock
I had a boss once that felt that taking time off from work was the sign of a non-dedicated person. I disagreed with her then and I do now.
I'm a recovering workaholic by nature, but my son is very important to me. So, activities with him are equally important. One activity that my son loves to do is walk to the “resting rock” after dark.
There are many nights where I tell him no and decide not to do it in lieu of other things, but those are the nights I regret. You see, when we go to the “resting rock” (a big boulder that is flat on the top – we usually lay on our backs and look in the sky…) I learn all kinds of things about my son. We have amazing conversations. At the “resting rock” he feels free to share his innermost feelings. I am such a fortunate mom to be able to take part in that. Had I not taken time in my schedule for those few minutes, I would have never known…
What do you think?
What do you do to make sure that the right things are on your calendar? How do you make sure to focus on the important things and less on the lemonade?
To your success!
Like this Post? You Might Also Like These
Schedule Your Day to Reflect Goals and Priorities – Part 1 – What Are Your Priorities?
Schedule Your Day to Reflect Goals and Priorities – Part 2 – Align Those Goals
Schedule Your Day to Reflect Goals and Priorities – Part 3 – Understanding Your Rhythm
Schedule Your Day to Reflect Goals and Priorities – Part 4 – Align Your Time
Karen says
Stephanie, I’ve been on vacation and am just catching up on your current series. You’re doing a great job answering my question, and because of that, I’m going to be forced to sit down, after the summer activities fade, and rethink/rewrite my priorities and goals. I see some areas that are skewed, and it’s time to take action! Thanks for taking on this challenging topic. And so glad you realized early on your son is one of the top priorities in life!
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Karen – Thanks so much for the very kind words! I’m so pleased that they have helped you. That means the world to me. Please check back in and let me know how it goes! My one question would be why are you waiting until the summer is over? There is no better time than the present! There will always be a bunch of things to do, especially if you don’t align those things to your priorities. One idea for how to do this “on the run” is to use index cards (recipe cards.) You can get them really inexpensively at a grocery or office supply store. Option A: Have one color for priorities, one for goals and white for tasks. Option B: Get all white and write either PRIORITY, GOAL or TASK at the top of the card. Keep a small amount of each with you as you go about your day. As you have a few minutes (we are always in some kind of waiting pattern even if it is in line at the grocery store…) think of one item to put on a card [the key here is ONE item per card.] If you have a random thought about this as you go about your day, you can pull out the card and write on it. This way, when you do have a longer period of time, you can lay your cards out (literally and figuratively) and quickly sort them and have the project done and your mind at ease. Heck! You might even enjoy your summer more! To your success Steph p.s. I read your comment to my son and he said, and I quote: “Wow! That is cool, she must be really nice. Tell her thanks.” We all have blessings in our life and they are all varied in type and scale. The more you can make sure that you focus on those areas, the more fulfilling your life will be! I’ll be talking about that more in my next post.
Karen says
Stephanie, great suggestion! I’m about to leave for an appointment, but first I’ll grab some index cards from my desk. My waiting time will be “productive and organized.” And tell your son, “You’re welcome. You sound like a thoughtful and polite young man.”