“I want to take steps to use my time better, but I when I slip up I get down on myself.  It’s hard to keep putting the effort in.”

If you’ve been following my posts this month – you know that I’m tackling real life time management scenarios all month long.  If you have missed a previous post – be sure to check out any that apply to YOUR life.

This is a particular stumbling block that I see often.

Black and white thinking.

All or nothing.

Perfectionism.

We get down on ourselves when we don’t accomplish everything that we expect ourselves to.

My question – what does “use my time better” even mean?  

  • Accomplish the #1 most important task on your to-do list OR accomplish 40 tasks on your to-do list?
  • Schedule your work day in 60 minute intervals with buffer time (or Murphy’s Law time) factored in OR schedule your work day in 15 minute intervals with no time for breaks, meals, or personal hygiene?

Usually, when we decide to make a change, we hold ourselves to impossibly high standards.  Now, don’t get me wrong, having high standards is not a bad thing—but we can also be a little harsh on ourselves.

Our internal critic starts to chime in about how “we can’t keep up” or “we keep dropping the ball” or “we don’t have what it takes to get it all done in time.”  This pesky internal judge will knock us on our butts if we don’t keep it in check.

If we take a step back, we realize the internal critic often serves no useful purpose at all. Its haranguing does nothing more than make us feel crummy about ourselves, and it SAPS the valuable energy we need to keep progressing in our lives.

[Tweet “Internal critics stomp on our time management efforts!”]

So – kick the internal judge to the curb! And you don’t have to be gentle about it! When you notice the internal commentary becoming a little harsh when you haven’t gotten far enough down the day’s to-do list, it’s time to fight back.

Tell the critic to back off, get lost, take a hike, or take a flying leap!

Then . . .

  • Instead of setting the goal to accomplish 40 tasks today – choose ONE.
    •  (Wondering how to ENSURE you accomplish your #1 most important task each day?  Attend my monthly teleseminar!!)
  • Instead of scheduling task after task and appointment after appointment – leave yourself some “down” time.
    • Some time to rejuvenate.
    • Some time to “fix stuff” when “stuff happens”.
    • Some time to get your day back on track when Murphy’s Law hits.

You’re doing your best, and what you don’t accomplish today…you’ll get done tomorrow, or next week. 

You deserve good changes in your life…and don’t let anyone or anything derail you. Slow progress is still progress.  We’re all human. Take it a little easier on yourself! This will ensure you have the energy and OPTIMISM you need to boldly keep reaching for your goals.

I believe in you!

Be sure to stop back as I tackle Real Life Scenario #5 – “I’m working hard to use my time better and make progress towards my goals, but it’s sort of a lonely process, and I think it would be more inspiring if I had people encouraging me and noticing the small successes.”

Your turn!  How do you stay positive when you are creating a new habit?  Can you relate to the “inner critic”?  How many tasks are on your to-do list?  Please share!

Are you ready to learn How to Accomplish Your #1 Most Important Task Each and Every Day Even When You are Super Busy?  Register for this informative (and fun!) teleseminar now.  Don’t worry if you can’t make it live – I’ll be recording it!  

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