Time Management Vampires

Ask anyone, “What are the top 3 challenges you have personally or professionally?” I would bet you that “time management” or “I don’t have enough time to get things done” is one of those top three responses. Unfortunately we only get 24 hours, no more, no less, that’s it! So what can you do about it?
Consider the time management vampires in your life. The first time wasting vampire is not having a plan, goals or a direction regarding what you are going to do 1st and from there on. You don’t know where to start or what to do next. Then you first need to create a schedule for yourself that mirrors the action needed to accomplish the goals you have set. Don’t waste time doing things that aren’t taking you to the goal you want to achieve. Think about doing things that won’t positively affect your desired goal outcome; it will be a “vampire” activity that will negatively sap your energy and waste your time. Make a schedule, daily, weekly and monthly, that focuses your time and energy on tasks that will drive a stake in the heart of the time wasting vampire.
A second vampire is one we often call “burn out.” Burn out occurs for several reasons: one is worrying about things you can’t control. The fretting, anxiety, and worry we carry in our head causes limiting beliefs that stop us in our tracks. Another is not getting enough rest. Doctors tell us that we on average need at least six and a half hours of sleep per night. Are you getting that and more than that occasionally? If not, you are more than likely lighting the fire that is burning you out.
The third vampire is what I will call “blurred vision.” This occurs from having too many “balls in the air.” How many times have those balls hit you in the head? If you are like many of us you’re trying to do too much and you do it without focusing on what your key goals are. We take on too much, thereby rendering ourselves ability to focus and in effect become blurred on what we are actually doing. Again it is important to clearly identify your goals, write them down and stick to the knitting. Recently, studies from prominent researchers at several universities have told us that multi-tasking can diminish our effectiveness and limit our chances for success. The multi-task vampire will bleed you dry. Don’t kid yourself. Focus is critical as my friend Tom’s dad once told him “focus, focus, focus, stress is what happens when you don’t focus.
Consider these three ideas and use them to rid yourself of the three most invasive “time vampires” that are always looking to bleed time away from you.