If you are in business or working at a job it doesn’t take long to figure out, each day is getting shorter and workloads are getting longer, sound familiar? Time is more valuable now then any time in history, we determine if we’re able to complete a task based on time which often times is true however if we slow down and look at how time is utilized we might think a bit different. Developing a check list is important when looking at all items you wish to complete. One challenge is how each task is delegated. If there’s to many to-do’s and we don’t complete the list each day we end up with a few things left incomplete.
Over time tasks which appear day after day can be discouraging. One of my good friends was working over the past month trying to complete his list only to become frustrated when he was not able to finish, in fact the list grew. His schedule is a challenge up early work all day as well as a very long commute as a result of traffic getting out of the city. For him Saturday’s tend to be the only day to pull it all together. His intentions are good but along the way life has a unique ability to pull him in other directions.
There are ways to overcome life’s challenges one way is to use leverage, we think of leverage as in a financial investment or debt. In 2008 people leveraged their homes taking out equity to purchase anything they desired. Over time people over leveraged their homes and got into financial distress.
However when leverage is utilized properly time can be multiplied. In the construction industry where I spent most of my life working we would use leverage on a daily basis. If a job was delayed but we agreed to finishing on time we would reevaluate the project, just putting more workers on the project was not always the answer. We would break down the project by tasks, look at each phase of the project, then develop a plan to address similar work which could be completed at the same time. More work within the same time frame. Although a challenge as we would also need to coordinate this work with other trades.
Each day we closely monitored the work, communicated with our subcontractors and completed the project on time and on budget. In our personal life we can apply the same principle.
If you or your partner work long hours and are faced with the evening challenge of cooking dinner each night. You might consider taking a couple of hours over the weekend and decide each meal for the week. When we cook at night or day if your schedule does not allow for night, consider how much more effort it would take to cook a larger portion, or incorporate an additional meal as your cooking one! All the ingredients are out, pans, measuring cups, bowls, plates, etc are all out, think about how many hours you spend each night cleaning up after a meal. Now think about how much time you would spend if it was all ready and all you need to do is heat up and eat!
Today leverage must be utilized is all areas of life in order for us all to keep moving forward and completing our long list of tasks. Each of us has been gifted with skills and natural talent. We must recognize our strong points and leverage them as well. That way the time you spend on what ever you do in life will be the best time spent!
~Stay Strong~
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