A Little Me Time

At one time in your life, you probably have heard or said it yourself. "I have so much to do. There never seems to be enough time." And it can definitely feel that way. We all face life's challenges, the to-do lists, deadlines, friends and family commitments vying for our attention on a daily basis. Maybe you have even become quite good at managing your time, by breaking your day up into segments or following a particular structure each day. Yet, what I want to share with you today is a vital aspect of managing the stress that arises from trying to juggle all the things that life throws at us. It's called "Energy Management", and it's just as important as time management. With that in mind, here's a situation that a CEO buddy of mine shared with me that perfectly demonstrates energy management. He is by far the busiest guy that I know. Along with coaching his son's hockey team and managing his company, he handles numerous other tasks. One day I asked him, "With all you have going on, how do you keep yourself from getting overwhelmed?" He said "I get an hour of me time every day. It is the one thing that I make sure happens every day no matter where I am, or what I am doing, I always stick to it. In that time I might go to the gym, get out of the office, talk to a buddy, or go browse in a book store. When I start to feel like I'm hitting the wall...I know my hour of me time is coming. And when I come back I always feel refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the day."

Make a point to schedule in some "Me" time every day. Be sure that it takes you away from the business of your day. If you tend to work on a computer for the majority of the day, try stepping away, go for a walk, grab a drink or a snack and read a book, or better still grab your gym gear and head out for a swim or run. It will give your mind and body a break which leads to feeling calmer. I often workshop this idea in my presentation. Here's just a few of the ways others manage their energy throughout the day... -"I get up at 6 a.m. every morning and take the dog for a long walk beside the lake. I come back feeling energized." -"I meet up with my husband for lunch every day." (Another attendee joked, "Oh yeah, she's a newlywed. That'll change." ) -"After supper, I sit down with my 3-year-old girl on the couch and read a few stories for about 30 minutes, we both get a lot out of it, it allows us to bond and it's one of the best parts of my day as it lets me unwind and focus on what really matters to me." Remember, when it comes to "too much to do, too little time," energy management can be as important as time management.

Quote to Ponder: "Energy flows where attention goes" - Anonymous