Enbeeone3 : A Freelancer

The Time You Find :Simplifying Your Schedule (SC)

by enbeeone3 on 09/12/09 at 12:02 am

For many, life is a hodgepodge

of never-ending commitments.

Yet few of us can be truly healthy or happy

without regular periods of downtime.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with busyness,

those of us who over-commit or over-extend ourselves

potentially face exhaustion and burnout.

When you feel overwhelmed by your commitments,

examining your motivation

for taking on so many obligations

can help you understand

why you feel compelled

to do so much.

You may discover that you are being driven

by fear

that no one else will do the job

or guilt

that you aren’t doing enough.

To regain your equilibrium

and clear the clutter from your calendar,

simplify your life

by establishing limits regarding

what you will and will not do

based on your personal priorities.

Determining where your priorities lie

can be as easy as making two lists:

one that outlines all those obligations

that are vital to your wellbeing,

such as work, meditation, and exercise,

and another that describes everything you do

that is not directly related to your wellbeing.

Although there will likely be items in the latter list

that excite your passion or bring you joy,

you may discover that you devote

a large portion of your time

to unnecessary activities.

To simplify your schedule,

consider which of these

unnecessary activities

add little value to your life

and edit them from your agenda.

Remember that you may need to ask for help,

say no firmly,

or delegate responsibility

in order to distance yourself

from such encumbrances.

However, as you divest yourself

of non-vital obligations that cause you stress,

serve no purpose,

or rob you of opportunities to refresh yourself,

you will feel more energetic

and enthusiastic about life in general.

If simplifying your schedule

seems prohibitively difficult

and you still feel pressed to take on more,

try imagining how each new commitment

will impact your life

before saying yes.

When you consider the hassle

associated with superfluous obligations,

you may be surprised to see

that your schedule is impeding your attempts

to grow as an individual.

Your willingness to pare down your agenda,

no matter how gradual your progress,

will empower you to retake active control

of the life that defines you.