Where Does All The Time Go?
Feeling Overwhelmed
The beginning of the year brings new goals and new plans for success but then we often feel like we have taken on too much as our to-do lists grow by the minute, our calendars are filled to the brim and we can not seem to catch up on emails. Since being overwhelmed can lead to feelings of inadequacy and burnout, we need to learn how to fight against that feeling of not having enough time or skill to accomplish our goals.
Per experts at Columbia University, here are five strategies to control your time and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed:
Map Your Commitments - You need to understand everything on your plate especially when considering taking on new projects. Start by identifying all the tasks you have in front of you now and determining if some of those tasks can be passed off to others. Once you have an idea of your current commitments, you can better evaluate new opportunities to see if you have the time and resources needed. You should also consider whether these new opportunities align with your short- and long-term goals.
Prioritize Your Tasks By Urgency - Not everything is urgent so you will need to differentiate between what is important from what is urgent. If you find yourself working on tasks that do not fall into the urgent or important category, you need to rethink why you are even doing them. Also, remember that you must set your urgency and not respond to what others consider as an emergency. I always like the quote - “A lack of planning on YOUR part does not constitute an emergency on MY part.”
Schedule Your Time - You should be really good at planning out the time it will take you to place an implant so use those same skills to plan out your other projects. By creating space in your day/week/month for important but non-urgent/non-dental matters, you can be assured that those issues will be dealt with.
Identify Time Suckers - Daily distractions like office gossip, personal email and social media, can give us a break to refocus and energize. But you need to limit those breaks to ensure that you stick to your schedule. When you understand the balance in how you distribute your time between work, creativity and social encounters, you can be more intentional in how you use your time.
Establish When and Where to Say No - While we all want to help out those in need, you need to learn to say no when that request will interfere with the time you have set aside for your goals. Just like the flight attendants say “Please put your mask on first before helping those around you.”
Since everyone’s goals and schedules are different, there is no magic formula for controlling your time.
If you are looking for assistance in offloading accounting tasks out of your schedule, please schedule a consultation with JNG Advisors today.