How often do you catch yourself thinking "I wish I had more time in my day." or "My job and life are so out of control that I can't take it anymore!"?

If you think you are working too hard and still unable to complete all the tasks on your various to-do lists, you are probably right. It has become a very common way of working and living in our society. Most people are being asked to do more with less - less resources and less training. This trend has jeopardized quality and morale.

An action plan will keep you organized and moving forward in positive directions. Applying time management techniques, setting priorities and becoming assertive are critical if you want to sustain your performance, achieve your goals and maintain your self-respect.

Set Priorities - if you struggle with knowing that your task pile is getting higher and higher, you are probably feeling overwhelmed and procrastinating. The critical first step is to not accept requests as the status quo; you must question situations and seek alternative approaches.

Ask the requestor probing questions like:

"What is the purpose of this activity?"

"What are your desired outcomes?"

"What is your timeline?"

"Who else needs to be involved in this activity?"

"What activity has the highest priority?"

The more you understand each priority, the easier it will be for you to complete your to-do lists, set boundaries and manage your time.

Set Boundaries - if you struggle with saying "no", delegating and being in control, you are probably taking on more than you should. You need to learn how to respect yourself by letting go of your people-pleasing and perfectionist tendencies. Letting go of these self-induced pressures, will greatly decrease your stress and increase your time. The more you understand the reasoning behind your needs to please people and be perfect, the easier it will be for you to let these tendencies go. It's never too late to take care of you.

To your taking control of your life,

Nancy Stampahar