With the new year comes an opportunity to create resolutions that the vast majority of us will no doubt have difficulty in achieving. Many of us want to be healthier, be more productive, be more punctual, eat better, etc. Trying to balance these goals with work and family obligations can prove to be challenging. However, there is an easy solution.
You have to plan ahead and schedule what's important. I wanted to make a commitment to myself last year to get in better shape and be healthier. In order to accomplish these goals, I started scheduling my time at the gym and later at boot camp. When I do my daily calendar review, I can see when I have myself working out and can schedule other activities accordingly. If it's important enough, it has a place on my calendar.
This year, I made a resolution to blog more frequently. After reading blog after blog about productivity, finding time for activities I enjoy, etc. I finally started scheduling time to create my blog posts and work on other creative endeavors. Since this method worked well for my health goals last year, it only made sense to carry it forward this year and apply it to other things I deem important.
While not an original idea, I have firsthand experience that scheduling important things does work. If you're struggling to find time for yourself be it for personal passions, professional pursuits, or other endeavors, identifying times where you can schedule time blocks for those activities will help you accomplish those goals.
It may take some getting used to, but it certainly has helped me see the bigger picture and realize what's important and what isn't.
How about you? Do you schedule time for things you deem important? What's important to you?
