Oh, My Goodness! Where Has the Time Gone?

It's 6:00 a.m. I'm awake. I'm pumped! I'm ready to go. I have a TO DO list that will keep me busy all day. My goal is to accomplish all of the things on my list before I go to bed tonight.

I turn on the computer.

Wow! I have 67 new emails. Well, I simply HAVE to check my emails. A lot them are unsolicited, but hey, I don't want to miss a great deal that one of them may be offering.

I start to read my emails.

RRRRRiinnnngg!! There goes the phone.

"Hello?
Hey, Girl, what's up?
He did what??? Child, let me tell you
what Eli did in class yesterday. The
teacher said he?.."

Half an hour later?

Back to reading emails. Of course there are some that I have to answer back. Then there is Lisa's emails I MUST read because she always send about 10 jokes and I know at least 8 of them will be very funny.

HAHAHAHAHA. That was very funny. I must forward that one on to my list of friends. I'm sure they'd get a kick out of it.

RRRRRRRRRiiinnnnggg!

"Hello!
Hey, Mom. What's up?
What? You don't say?
Hey, I warned you about her."

45 minutes later you look at the clock and?

"Oh My Goodness! Where Has the Time Gone?"

It's now lunchtime and I haven't accomplished anything.

That was me. Everyday I would wake up ready to conquer the world. By lunchtime I had wasted so much time accomplishing nothing that I would give up and figure I'd start it all again tomorrow. But tomorrow would pretty much be a repeat of the day before.

That was until I taught myself how to manage my time.

You must focus and pay attention to your time, otherwise it has a way of slipping away without being noticed.

If you are in any way like I am, a person who can get caught up in spending hours reading emails. And many other hours idling chit-chatting on the phone with friends and family. You must make a conscious effort to eliminate or at least cut down on doing anything that takes you away from your purpose.

Make a plan for each day.

Schedule a time for everything that is important to you.

Schedule time to check your emails. I find that it is helpful for me to check my emails during lunch. Since I am on a break, so to speak, reading my emails will not distract me or take away time from more important things.

Limit the amount of time you spend on the phone idling talking with friends and family. I'm in no way suggesting that you do not talk with them but talk with them "after hours." Once you have completed your goals for the day, then rewind by laughing and talking with friends and family.

A spouse and kids can also take you off of your course. If you have small children who are home, they can often take you off track. Make sure that the time you schedule to accomplish your goals, you have someone else take care of your children. OR, help them to understand that during this time, you cannot be disturbed. It is important that you make sure you schedule time to take care of their needs as well.

Make a conscious effort not to let time slip away from you. For if you don't, you will wake up one morning, 85 years old, and wonder where the time went.

Dawn Fields is a motivational speaker, author, and spiritual life coach. She teaches how to discover and live your life's purpose. Visit the web site at http://www.dawnfields.com. Be sure to tune in on Thursdays @ 9 p.m. EST for her radio show, Your Life's Purpose Interactive Internet Radio Show at http://www.dawnfields.com/radioshow.htm. Be sure to sign up for the motivational and inspirational newsletter, Your Life's Purpose by sending a blank email to dawn@dawnfields.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

---

Time Management Doesnt Exist! So What Can You Do?

There is no such thing as time management. You cannot... Read More

Creating A Not-To-Do List

When I sit down with a client to work on... Read More

Painful Cost of Working Yourself to Death

We all know the harmful effects of overwork. People get... Read More

The Myth of What We Manage

Perhaps it is merely semantics, but an underlying problem I... Read More

Increasing Your ROI

All requests are not equal; all customers or clients are... Read More

Living on Purpose: Achieving Balance Between Work And the Rest of Your Life

Many of us get so caught up in day-to-day pressures... Read More

10 Tips on the Right Time of Day for Your Personal Best

Does choosing which time we do an activity really make... Read More

Time Management: Eliminate Time Killers to Gain More Hours Every Day

There are two types of time killers in everyone's life.... Read More

It?s Not The Same Old Routine

We are constantly inundated with routine (often boring!) tasks around... Read More

Make Procrastination Wait

Reflect on the rewards of kicking the procrastination habit. They... Read More

Linking Purpose To Everyday Behaviors

How do you know what's the best use of your... Read More

Whats Keeping You At The Office (9 Tips To Get Home Quicker)

"Work smarter, not harder" is a cliché that has darted... Read More

Managing Worry: Productivity Tips for High Achievers Who Worry

Are you a worrier? Do you frequently spend time and... Read More

Controlling Family Chaos - Time Management for the Family

Balancing a family's varying schedules can be near impossible. Soccer,... Read More

Having Time on Your Side

Clarity brings accomplishmentOne of the most important things you can... Read More

Quick Tips On Time Management

Want to improve your time management?Edward W. Smith, motivational speaker,... Read More

Organize Your Time

Most people want to start a home-based business to make... Read More

Effective Use of Your Online Time

The Internet is increasingly becoming a major time killer for... Read More

Making More Efficient Use of Your Time

You can lose, damage or waste some things in life,... Read More

21 Questions To Assess Your Readiness For Time Management

How many of us are guilty of "Putting the cart... Read More

Overcoming Procrastination

Procrastination, the habit of putting tasks off to the last... Read More

Tips to Save One Hour Per Day

At Home? Keep related items together, for example the coffee... Read More

Work Smarter Not Harder

To work smarter all you need is the consciousness of... Read More

Time Management is Cause Control

Recently I've experienced a barrage of time wasters. Everything you... Read More

Spend Less Time at Work and Get More Done

Sounds too good to be true?It really isn't!In fact, studies... Read More

Time: Do You Spend it or Invest it?

Time is our greatest and most precious asset. Time is... Read More

Living Life In A Time Starved World

Recently I saw an advertisement for a time management booklet:... Read More

How to Minimize Trips to the Grocery Store

Still awaiting the birth of my baby (I am overdue),... Read More

More Precious Than Gold

In this world there is something more precious than gold.... Read More

Career Redesign Tools For Work-Life Balance

Partnering with the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the... Read More

Work, Work, Work: Making Each Moment Count

Time, time, time. It seems there is never enough of... Read More

Busy, Busy, Busy

?busy, busy, busy, busy, busy?busy, busy, bus? OK, slap me... Read More

Too Much to Do? Too Little Time?

Hey - Did someone press the FFW button?Have you ever... Read More