We all want to lead a fulfilling life. However, this can be hard when you have a demanding job, family responsibilities and are trying to keep on top of daily life. Perhaps there are times when you simply don't have space to consider how life could be more meaningful.
The well known phrase 'if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail', attributed to Benjamin Franklin, shows great insight. What's great about this is that we know that by making a good, well-thought-out plan, we are more likely to succeed. We all want to be the best that we can be and planning is key.
When you're busy, self-care is often something which is neglected and low down on the list of priorities! However, taking time to consider your needs is important in order to be more productive, deal with stress and prevent burnout. Whilst it is important to meet the demands of your job and be there for others, it is also vital to look after ourselves.
Personal values are those things which are most important to you. They include what you believe, what motivates you and those things which makes you happy. Your values will influence your behaviour and guide you in your decisions. While we will hold many beliefs and be motivated by a range of values, there will be a small number which are core and more significant for us. When our lives are aligned to what we believe, we are more likely to live a happy and fulfilled life.
Do you ever find yourself doing anything except the task you are supposed to be doing? Suddenly you are highly motivated to have a major clear out, offer to run errands for your colleagues or feel inspired to file all of your books alphabetically, by genre! If so, then it is fair to say that you will be experiencing classic procrastination.
Procrastination is when we put off or delay doing something which we should be doing. The outcome is that we waste time doing other stuff, are easily distracted and fail to get the important things done.
How do you generally feel at the start of your day?
Do you usually feel focused with total clarity about what you are going to achieve that day?
OR
Do you jump straight into dealing with tasks, appointments and emails with a feeling of panic because you have too much to do?
I suspect that for many it is the latter!
Do you ever feel stuck? Do you find it hard to focus on what you really need to do? Perhaps you feel like you are on a treadmill going through the day's activities without real clarity and purpose?
This has been my experience recently. I struggled to complete a task which I usually enjoy doing and I didn't know why. Instead I got distracted doing other tasks and felt frustrated that I hadn't achieved what I had set out to do.
After some soul searching and reflection, I discovered what was going on for me and how to move forward. The solution was quite clear!
As we approach the end of the year many of us will be looking forward to the New Year with all of the opportunities this brings. It can be tempting to look ahead, perhaps set some New Years resolutions, and move forward without taking time to acknowledge the year which has been.
We rarely take time to stop and make sense of what has been going on for us when we are constantly busy with our personal and professional lives. It is easy to forget what has been achieved, all that has been learnt and challenges which have been overcome, when we do not take time out to reflect.
I was talking with a headteacher friend this week, about how she deals with her busy life. We concluded it was all about keeping things in perspective.
For her being busy is a sign that she has a job to do, people who need her and plenty going on in her life and she is thankful for this. She knows that a difficult work situation will not last, and this perspective helps her deal with challenges more positively.
This got me thinking about how important it is to keep things in perspective, especially during this busy period.