Stress Management: Where Does Your Time Go?

We are so busy Monday through Friday and have so many tasks to complete. Some people try to make up time by sleeping less. Do you wonder where does your time goes?

We all get the same 24 hours a day Monday through Friday. How are you spending yours?

In my time management seminar, participants fill out a worksheet and reflect on where their time goes Monday through Friday. The questionnaire is broken down into 3 sections: utility time, employment time, and discretionary time.

Utility time includes sleeping, bathing, dressing, eating, commuting and traveling. Employment time includes, working, taking breaks, waiting, and socializing. Discretionary or leisure time includes athletic and health activities, television or multi-media entertainment, hobbies, housework, family and social activities.

This is what they discover: Often seminar participants are trying to squeeze 27 hours into a 24-hour day. And just like you, many say they make it up by sleeping less. I would not recommend this strategy.

Instead, I recommend that you make minor adjustments in your behavior to get back in balance. Answer these questions: What can you do 5% less of? What do you need to do 5% more of? What 5% can you stop doing? So you now have 5% to start doing something new. That’s a 20% difference in behavior. That’s a day a week. This minor adjustment will have a major impact on your work and life balance.

Here’s the bottom line: Become more efficient by creating systems for routine tasks. Consider all of the tasks you can delegate to others and let them go. Stop participating in activities that are truly a waste of time. Invest your newfound available time in more valuable pursuits.

Your time is precious. Please treat it that way.

If you need to find a keynote speaker, plenary speaker, breakout speaker, concurrent session speaker, seminar leader, or workshop facilitator who can deliver in-person, virtually, or via prerecorded session, Kit Welchlin, M.A., CSP, CVP, is a nationally recognized professional motivational speaker and author and can be found at www.welchlin.com or www.SeminarsOnStress.com.