6 Keys for Respecting Your Time
Are you the type of person that always says YES to
every demand on your time? Can you watch my
kids? Will you drive me to soccer practice? You're
so good at sewing; can you help me make a party
costume for my daughter? Would you mind calling
that person for me? Since you're already working
on the computer, would you mind typing me a
letter?
Would you say YES to almost every one of these requests?
There is certainly no shortage of people looking for volunteers. But the
truth is that you can only do so much, before getting stressed and
exhausted.
One important thing to remember is that the only way that others are
going to respect your time, is if YOU respect your time.
DO ONE OR TWO THINGS, AND DO THEM WELL. Rather than
volunteering at every school, church, organization or work activity, pick
one or two things and focus your efforts on those. If someone else
requests your time, let them know you're committed to these one or two
activities, and simply cannot take on another.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ALL OR NOTHING. While you may
consider helping someone out with something, that certainly doesn't
mean you have to do it all. For example, rather than serving on a
committee, you may volunteer to make reminder phone calls, or to type
up the newsletter.
BARTER. If someone asks you to volunteer your time, ask this person
to volunteer their time right back. For instance, if your friend asks you
to baby sit tonight, ask her if she can drive your son to school
tomorrow.
NO GUTS-NO GLORY. If you have no intention of saying YES, don't
avoid the issue by saying, MAYBE, or IF I HAVE TIME. While this may
temporarily alleviate your guilt, it's unfair to the other person, and you'll
be wasting time fretting over what excuse you're going to give to this
person. Just say No. And don't feel guilty about saying No, because
you want to spend some quality time with your family, or you need
some personal time alone.
TAME YOUR TO DO LIST. Your To Do List should not be ten pages
long. Good time management is picking and choosing those items that
are truly important and saying NO to those that are not important at all.
Force yourself to limit the amount of items on your To Do List.
DO IT BECAUSE YOU WANT TO. While there are some situations
that are to be considered emergencies--such as helping an ill relative
or friend-- there are many other requests for your time that you simply
don't have to do. The best rule of thumb is to choose those activities
that you TRULY WANT TO DO--those things that will make you happy.
If someone asks you for your time, and you find yourself thinking, 'Oh,
no', then don't do it.
Effective Business Systems
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