The day is planned. You get up and out the door, or at least get dressed and begin your day at the “home” office. You are feeling pretty proud of yourself for having a plan. Then it happens. You find yourself racing against the clock as carpool hour or closing time approaches. The clock is ticking. You panic. Your desk is a mess and when you glance at your calendar/planner you realize not one thing on the list is done.
Making a plan is only HALF the battle. We have to find ways to stick to the plan. A mid-day check is a great tool. In fact, in my view it is one of the only methods for keeping yourself on track.
What is a mid-day check? It’s another one of those 15 minute routines that can change your life. Just before lunch, take 15 minutes to push aside the phone, the computer screen, the pile of papers, and focus your attention on your calendar/planner/to do list. Evaluate the situation. How many tasks have you completed? All of them? GREAT-call a friend and take a little extra time at lunch. You earned it. None of them? Don’t despair. Instead, write down what you did do. After writing down what you have done then assess your list. Were you too optimistic about what all you could get done? Were your plans misguided? Are there some items that really should be delegated? Is there something of high value you need to make sure you complete? Highlight that item and block off 30-45 minutes to focus on that task after lunch.
There are often really good reasons are day has been derailed. A work event gets cancelled or rescheduled and the entire office is adjusting. A child wakes up sick. A co-worker or friend have a crisis and need our help. However, there are also not so good reasons our day gets derailed. We spend too much time in the break room catching up with a co-worker. We get caught up in e-mail, whether it is urgent or not. We hop onto social media and lose track of time.
The point is this-be mindful. If we allow ourselves to hit the ground running and keep running until the day is done, we lose track. We lose track of time and purpose. The little things become urgent and we fail to take care of those things that move us towards our goals.
A mid-day 15 minute break can make or break your day. It’s a great time management tool, because it keeps you mindful.
SOS:SimplifiedOrganizedStyled 