This is too funny. I should not be writing about time management since I am the world's worse time manager. I excel at the art of procrastination and if there were an award, I would win. All joking aside, it is important to take time to look inward, to identify our strengths and weaknesses, and commit to make needed changes. When thinking about time management all that comes to mind is that there is not enough time. By the time we get out of the bed it seems like we are in a race against the clock.
Here is a day in life of a parent... get out of bed, get dressed, get the kids dressed, get the kids to school, get self to work, work, get the kids from school, get home, get dinner, get homework completed, get baths, get kids to bed, talk to your spouse for 5 seconds about the next day, and fall into bed... anyone with me? How do we all get it done? The answer is we don't!
For years I have held onto an index card of the time management matrix developed by Covey. I have used this matrix to prioritize and further divided it into categories at home, work, and social activities. It has not "cured" me from a life-long battle with this thing called procrastination, but it has been a helpful tool. Procrastination is a form of avoidance and it just leads to anxiety. I have often told myself that I work better under pressure and often times that is true. When you do well under pressure, it only reinforces the belief, "I can wait until the last minute." The fallacy of this line of thinking is that it is highly probable that you would have done even better if you had not waited until the last minute. In addition, you would not have been in a state of sheer panic or high anxiety. If you struggle like I do with procrastination, I encourage you to start working on it today. Don't wait!
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