If trying to maintain a sense of balance in your life makes you feel like you’re treading water without a lifeboat, you’re not alone! Most of us have so many demands on our time that life can sometimes feel like we’re drowning. In this time management article, I suggest you do the time management activity below to see how well you are meeting your goals and responsibilities, while also recognizing and fulfilling your personal needs and wants.

This exercise is designed to help you see where your life may be Out of Balance with How you Spend Your Time.

Answer True or False to each of the following statements:

• I don’t spend a large part of my day worrying about things.
• I know the warning signs and physical symptoms of stress.
• I know how to keep stress from overwhelming me.
• The only way I can successfully manage my life is to take care of myself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
• Taking care of myself increases my ability to help others.
• I eat healthy foods and exercise regularly.
• I get regular medical and dental check-ups and take preventative measures to keep myself healthy.
• I regularly get a good night’s sleep and give my body the rest it needs to rejuvenate.
• I don’t spend much of my time doing unnecessary activities just to keep busy.
• I set aside personal, quiet time just for myself.
• I experience joy with each new season: skiing, ice skating, sledding; taking long walks, gardening, biking, hiking, breathing fresh air; camping, swimming, sailing, tennis, boating, barbeques with family and friends, going barefoot; engaging in seasonal rituals like picking apples, spending cozy time inside.
• I set aside time for myself to do what I love, whether that’s a hobby or creative activity like running, pottery, creative writing, dancing, singing, photography, gardening, cooking, drawing, painting or yoga.
• I regularly set aside quality time to spend with family, friends and those who enrich my life.
• I give my time, energy and experience where it is most needed and most useful to help me stay connected and to support my sense of purpose.
• I notice and listen to the emotional signals that tell me I’m out of balance: worry, fear, irritability, resentment, inability to focus, overwhelm, exhaustion.
• When I think I’m getting sick or catching a cold, I realize I may have stressed my immune system and need to slow down, so I stop, rest, and take care of myself.
• I can say “no” to requests for my time when I need to.

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• I listen to the signals my body sends me and I honor the requests my body makes for a personal time out for such things as a walk, a nap, exercise, a short break, peace and quiet, comfort food.
• If I have planned to do something for myself, I do it. I don’t just put it aside if someone comes along and makes a request for my time.
• Even though I’m busy, I still find time to do the things I want to do to support my need for personal time.
• I am happy and content with my life. I regularly experience a sense of well-being, joy and gratitude.

 
If you answered false more often than true, you may want to take a look at the questions to which you answered false and see if you can acknowledge you need to make a change in your life in these areas. No matter what you’d like to change or achieve, the secrets to success are the same…

Develop Awareness. This is the first step toward balancing your life using effective time management.

Get Clear. What do you want to change? Be as specific as possible. Decide what you want. The clearer you are about what you want in your life, the more likely you are to achieve it.

Get Perspective. Most people don’t tell anyone what they want or what they’re struggling with. Because of that, they don’t have an outside perspective, so they can’t see their way out of their current situation and they stay stuck.

Get Support. Very few people, if any, achieve anything great alone. Sports stars and CEOs have team members, mentors and coaches, why not you? Be willing to take responsibility for your life and how you spend your time. Ask the people in your life to support you, starting today.

For more time-saving strategies, Sign Up to receive a FREE Chapter of Kathryn’s New Book: Triple Your Time Today: 10 Proven Time Management Strategies to Help You Create and Save More Time! In this book, she shares her secret Time Management Tips, Techniques, Tools and Case Studies. Go to: http://www.kathryn-mckinnon.com.

When you sign up, you’ll also receive a complimentary subscription to her time-saving Ezine. In it, you’ll find Simple, Proven Strategies to Save Time Now, Secrets to creating More Time, and Easy Ways to take back your time.

For help right Now, you can get her New Book on Amazon, Triple Your Time Today: 10 Proven Time Management Strategies to Help You Create and Save More Time! Go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00585CI1G

Copyright Kathryn McKinnon and McKinnon & Company 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Author: Kathryn S McKinnon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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