Funny thing about people . . . most of us want time for ourselves and yet we often give our personal time away as if it is abundant. Why is it that your name tends to be deleted, or worse yet, never added to your calendar? And even when it is added, are your events the first to be rescheduled when you get busy? All that time for thinking, planning, and strategizing – all that time for relaxing, meditating, and exercising – all those occasions meant for you to be with family and friends. Poof! Up in a cloud of busy-ness. Now that the new year has begun, make sure you put your name in your calendar in permanent ink.
Think about it . . . when you are prepared, organized, and feeling good, you are more likely to give your best to your team, your co-workers, your organization, your family, and your friends. For that reason alone, and there are many more, it is important to keep yourself on your priority list. We have some suggestions about how to do just that.
Set boundaries
Through some smart planning and action, you can better manage yourself so that your “me time” does not disappear. Achieving this goal requires boundaries. You simply say, “I am booked” – as if you have a customer appointment that you can’t change. Just do it!
Establish priorities and realistic goals
What is really important to you? We recommend you write down your priorities – both professional and personal. For instance, your priorities might include your spouse/partner, your team, your family, the success of your department, your health, having challenging work, your spirituality, professional growth, giving back to the community, time with friends, your finances, meeting/exceeding organizational targets . . .
Once you have figured out your priorities, write down your goals. For example:
- Five hours of “me time” per week in the office
- More productive and better-organized meetings, and
- Cycling 150 miles per week.
To ensure you achieve your first priority, make sure your name is on your calendar for one hour per day, every day of the week.
Here is a way to accomplish your second priority – more productive and better-organized meetings. Consider restructuring the way you hold meetings. For example, 60-minute meetings could become 45‑minute meetings to allow time before each meeting for preparation and time after the discussion to hand off follow-up items.
For the cycling priority – you may want to ride your bike 150 miles every week. Set realistic goals: Monday 20 miles, Wednesday 30 miles, Saturday 50 miles, and Sunday 50 miles.
Critical success factors
Setting your priorities, identifying the steps, and visualizing how you will achieve them are critical success factors. Scheduling “me time” on your calendar will give you the time you need for this level of thinking and planning. Think of it this way: you need to treat your health, your relationships, your finances – whatever or whomever is on your list – as priorities.
In summary
Have a plan. Your vitality plan for 2015 shares many characteristics with the plans and goals you set at work. Have a plan that is clear, quantifiable, realistic, related to your goals, and makes sense from a timing point of view.
- Prioritize: Write down what is important to you.
- Set realistic goals: Define what you need to do for each priority.
- Plan for success: Create a 2015 Vitality Action Plan that lays out the roadmap to get you to where you want to go.
Are you ready for 2015—personally? Are you clear on how you will realize your personal priorities?
