Tag Archives: Time Management

Dream Derailer #3: Procrastination

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Scott Peck wrote, “Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”

Napoleon Hill described procrastination as,  “The bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.”

Do you have a problem with procrastination?

If you do, you are not alone for about 1 in every five people procrastinate.  Procrastination is not doing what you know you should be doing.  It is ignoring something important and instead doing something less important.  Are you surfing the net when you should be working?  Are you watching television or playing a game when you should be cleaning, studying,  or spending quality time with your family?  One of my personal favorite quotes paraphrased from the Baha’i Writings is, “When the most important work is before you, you must learn to let go of the important.”

An important question to ask is, “Is this the most important thing I can be doing right now?

Is this action moving me closer to my most important goals?   Everyone procrastinates from time to time, but if are a chronic procrastinator, then you need to figure out why. Some of you have probably started on a goal and ran into a roadblock and haven’t been able to get back on track again.  Others have not even gotten started.  Whether you have started and stalled or never started at all, the challenge is the same.  You’ll never succeed if you don’t start and finish.   Sometimes we are so overwhelmed with so much to do that we are paralyzed with indecision.  If too much is on your plate, take off the least important stuff.  When you finish you can put it back on again if it is still important to you.

If you are a chronic procrastinator, click to read about ten tips for tackling your procrastination tendencies.

What are you waiting for?  Get started on that dream.  You’ll never see the finish line if you don’t get started.

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out: What Does Barbara Do? or visit  my website.

Manage Your Roles and You’ll Manage Your Time

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Roles=Time Commitments

Whether it is in our jobs or schools, our community, our homes, or places of worship, each of us takes on many roles.  And, with each role we make an expressed or subconscious commitment of our time.  If we want to avoid overload and limit our stress, we must learn to manage our roles.  Some of our roles give us more energy, and some zap it and drain us.  You have to decide which is which.  I have provided a process for clarifying, analyzing, and prioritizing your roles in my book, TalleyUP: The Excitement of Value Based Living.  Below is an excerpt from the book on roles.

First, Define Your Roles

“The first step to living more on purpose is to define your roles. Every role you choose to play in life will have to compete for your precious and limited time. Each role will vie to be the most important priority. Many people I consult with have a problem with managing competing priorities. But the truth is priorities shouldn’t compete. They only compete because we haven’t defined for ourselves and communicated to others the real order of our priorities.” Read more about roles in TalleyUP: The Excitement of Value-Based Living.

Give Yourself a Priceless Gift in 2012

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So while you’re running around shopping taking advantage of those After Christmas sales, don’t forget about yourself.  What meaningful gift can you give yourself?  I’m not talking about giving yourself more stuff; I’m suggesting that you give yourself something much more precious… time.   Yes, time.  Take out your 2012 calendar right now and mark off some time in it for yourself (in ink) to take care of yourself before it’s filled up with requests, demands, and promises of others.  Treat that time as sacred and consider it as a promise to yourself which you will not break!

Your Health and Sanity Is A Big Rock

Steven Covey talks about the importance of taking care of the most important first.  He uses the analogy of filling a jar with rocks and things and equates that to filling up our lives with things (some important, others not so important).  The big rocks represent the most important things in our lives that give us meaning, joy, and purpose. The small rocks, sand, and water represent the day-to-day duties, distractions, and things we spend our time on.  He suggests that if you first fill the jar up with sand, water, and small stones, then it will be hard if not impossible to get the big rocks in later.

Put the Big Rocks in First

But, if you put the big rocks in first, then the pebbles, then the sand, then the water, you’ll be able to get a lot more in the jar.  We all lead busy complicated lives and we’ve got to decide what our big rocks, pebbles, sand, and water are.  One thing is for sure, your health is a big rock.  Put it in first.  In my life management system, I discuss 10 big rocks.   They are discussed in my ‘On Track, On Fire, and On Purpose‘ book (see home page.)

Mark Off Time For Yourself Right Now!

Be proactive and take control.  Don’t wait and don’t procrastinate.  Mark off at least one day for yourself for each month.  You need at least that amount of time to rest, reflect, and recharge yourself.  Why not do it right now?  Give yourself the gift of a day to relax, plan, read, pray, meditate, walk, hike, sing, dance, visit friends, get a massage, get a pedicure, or to just play.  Relaxation and reflection are good for the mind, body, and soul.  Out of 365 days, don’t you think you deserve at least  twelve for yourself?  This gift doesn’t cost you anything but does  show how much you value yourself!  And when you are refreshed and feel valued, you are happier, make better decisions, and are more productive.

Block of 1 Hour a Day

Now, if you really love yourself, set some goals for prayer, meditation, exercising, transforming your health, developing your talents and hobbies, and for a restful vacation.  Still have your calendar out?  Well, mark off a 3-hour block each week for planning and one hour each day for reflection.    Consider your scheduled time as a promise and honor it.

You Can’t Live on Purpose by Accident

So now you’re on a roll.  Schedule some meaningful time with your family or significant other and share the joy.  We all want lives of meaning and purpose, but you can’t live on purpose by accident.  You’ve got to plan for it. Once you get in the habit of planning, you’ll want to make sure you’ve put in the big rocks in for your mind, body, soul, service to others, career, money, home, family, hobbies, and  relationships.  And when you begin to see the importance of all of these, you’ll have no time to waste on insignificant things.  Self awareness, self control, and self actualization, now that would be priceless!

I’m Barbara Talley, The Poet who speaks and inspires.   To find more about me, check out my promo sheet or visit  my website.

Tip#5: Plan Your Work And Work Your Plan

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plan

Would You Start A Business Without A Plan?

Would you have a wedding without a plan?  Would you take a trip without a plan?  Would you start a business without a plan?    Well, why would you expect to live your most fulfilled life without a plan?   Why would expect to garner the perfect job, business, family, home, or partner without a plan.  Without a plan, how would you know when you’ve reached your goal?  How would you know the best ways to proceed?

A Plan Is Not a Luxury; It Is Essential!

You’ve heard these wise quotes on planning before, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”  And, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Plan thoroughly and review daily if you want to stay on track.  There are far too many distractions in this world to keep us from doing what we want to do.  A plan is not a luxury; it is essential!

A Plan Is Just A Written Itinerary of Your Intentions

The human mind needs focus in order to be the most productive.  It needs a program to follow and a place to direct your energies, otherwise it is bored, scattered, or confused.  A plan is just the written itinerary of your intentions.   As I’ve said before, “You can’t live on purpose by accident!”   Everyone wants to lead a purposeful, meaningful life, don’t they?  But, we’ve got to be an active participant in making that happen.  What you see is what you get.  If you don’t see where you’re going, how do you expect to ever get there?

A Plan Gives The Conscious Mind Direction and Focus

The word plan is both a verb and a noun and answers the questions, What? and How? As a noun, the plan is the written document of your intentions.   A plan gives the conscious mind direction and focus.   Without focus it will be difficult to achieve any real goals or meaningful results.  A well defined plan answers  the questions.  Where are you going in life?  What do you want out of this life? Why do you want what you want? How do you plan to get it?  And, when do you want it by?  Verbs imply action.  As a verb, planning means to prepare, map out, or state your intentions.  That means you have to act!  You have to do something.  Even with the best plan, you have to make it happen.

Your Results Will Only Be As Good As Your Plans

Planning requires time to think, reflect, and strategize.  Your results will only be as good as your plan.  Your plan will be only as good as your reflections.   Spend some time on your plan.  Your plan will be your marching orders, your blueprint, and clarifies your vision and intentions.   Some people like to graphically depict their plans as vision boards.  Some write them as small written affirmations.  Others create detailed charts, goals, and task lists.   A plan is like a map and clearly defines where you are going and how you intend to get there.  So, what are you waiting for?  Pull out your map and get going.  If you don’t have a map, a plan, or a strategy for living your best life, get one.

Barbara Talley is a Poet, Author, Publisher, and Keynote speaker who speaks on Time Management, Goal Setting, Empowerment, Communications, Diversity, Leadership, and Women’s Issue. To book Barbara for an event, phone 301.428.4831, email her at barbara@thepoetspeaks.com or visit her website at www.thepoetspeaks.com.

Tip#4: Clarify Your Vision Before You Aim and Fire!

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On Track On Fire and On Purpose Cover2 Ready, Fire, Aim or Ready, Aim, Fire?

Before you start sprinting to the finish line, first know where you are going.  Planning your time before you have planned your life is like firing an arrow before you have aimed it.  Sure it will fly, but to where?  Aiming is clarifying and focusing on your vision before you fire.

In my book, On Track, On Fire, On Purpose, I define vision as:  “the masterpiece of  imagination, the blueprint of destiny, and a sneak preview of coming attractions.”

What do you see for your future?  What possibilities have you imagined?  What dreams have you pondered?

Your Vision Is A Gift

Did you know that your vision is a supernatural gift?  It allows you to see with your mind’s eye the future before you see it with your physical eyes.  Your vision is the blueprint of your destiny.  Destiny is preordained and is yours for the claiming.  Your vision is real.  It shows you the possibilities for your future.   Think of it as a sneak preview of coming attractions.

Believing Is Seeing!

“Seeing isn’t believing; believing is seeing.”  My ten year old daughter heard this quote once on television, and couldn’t wait to share it with me.  She said, “Mom, this sounds like something you’d like.”  I agreed.  I loved it.  It stated something more profound than the obvious.  Seeing isn’t believing. It doesn’t take much faith to believe what you see.  But, to believe something that you can’t see with your eyes yet, now that’s faith.

Your Vision Is What You Choose to See for Your Future

Believing allows us to see with our mind’s eye, long before we see it with our physical eyes.  When we believe that’s when we begin to see.  Because, even though your vision previews the future, you must still acknowledge it.   Vision is what you choose to see for your future.

Your Plan Should Capture Your Vision

Your plan should capture your vision.  The bible says that, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”   Now, that’s on pretty good authority that we must have a vision.  To perish means to die.   Visionless people waste time, have a hard time seeing where they fit in, and may also become bored, depressed, and lifeless.  Having a meaningful goal engenders life.   A vision gives us direction, purpose, and passion.  People with vision know where they are going and are excited by what they see.  People with vision are energized.  People with a clear vision, thrive!  So, what’s your vision?  What do you see?  What do you believe?  Now that you see it, Get Ready, Aim, Fire!     Continue to Tip#5: Plan Your Work And Work Your Plan

Barbara Talley is a Poet, Author, Publisher, and Keynote speaker who speaks on Time Management, Goal Setting, Empowerment, Communications, Diversity, Leadership, and Women’s Issue. To book Barbara for an event, phone 301.428.4831, email her at barbara@thepoetspeaks.com or visit her website at www.thepoetspeaks.com.