There is nothing more frustrated than running out of time. You always hear that time is of the essence, time is precious, you can't get time back and so on. The problem with each of these statements is that no one really takes the time to show the average person or better yet the busy professional how to effectively manage their time. They provide long lists, wordy tips or just say do it. But where do you start when your clock never seems to stop?
I could post a million tips and even give a dissertation about time management and its importance but I think as HBCU college students and graduates we all know, like money, time don't grow on trees. So what I will do is tell you what happened to me that made me realize that I was walking a tight rope rather than balancing my time and my life.
First thing that made me realize I needed to change, my body shut down on me on a school day when I had to take my high school son to school. Unfortunately he doesn't ride the bus or walk and is not driving yet. I literally opened my eyes and felt like I was moving but I didn't budge. I had worked myself into a tizzy working 16-20 hour days, not drinking and on a strict Pepsi regimen. As a result my son was almost late to school, I had a hard time keeping my eyes open driving to and from the school and I slept through my work schedule and almost missed an important first client meeting. Solution: I now make myself stop working at a certain time and take my behind to bed.
Second thing I realized ... I had too many irons in the fire. These fires were always more important than the next thing that never got completed. I was all over the place and never had time to finish something, write something, edit something, consult someone or more importantly make my sons a hot meal. It was driving me crazy and to make matters worse my clients could care less. They paid their fees and wanted work. Solution: I contracted help based off the fees I earned, hired a part-time assistant and made sure I cleared my schedule before I got put out of the house by my sons.
Third thing I noticed ... I was letting myself go. Now from my picture you can see I am not hard on the eyes but after days, no weeks of not combing my hair all the way, just throwing on a cap, dressing in long dresses all the time and not wearing even lip gloss I was starting to look like I was being kept in the basement of someone's house. Solution: I make time for me. I schedule a massage once a month, for now, schedule a hair appointment every other week and get my nails and toes done at least once a month.
I could go on with what I noticed but what's the point. You probably barely had time to read this blog but I thought it would be beneficial to help someone else that may be forcing time into their day. Let me just ease your mind, it ain't happening. You have to get off that tight rope and balance your life by making time for business, school, your loved ones and most importantly yourself. You can't do anything if you are bed ridden or worse dead. So make time and stop forcing it.
