I don’t know about you, but I find myself playing catch up with projects. There are quieter seasons and busier seasons. And in those busy seasons it seems a bit of a trick to catch anything up without something else slipping behind.
And I get that that’s my choice. It is directly connected to what I’ve volunteered or agreed to do. But how can we make the most of our time, serve others well, and avoid overwhelm?
Power Hour
Power hour might be more of an idea than a literal thing. I think of it as a section of time when I focus on a main project for a portion of time and give it a real effort. Some days this concentrated effort helps me knock out tasks, while other days I find that the task is larger than I anticipated.
I have learned that the earlier in the day you work on your main project, the more you will accomplish throughout the day. The ‘gotcha’ I struggle with is when a lot of busy work is scheduled earlier in the day and I don’t have a chance to attack the important work until late afternoon. I’m just not as focused or efficient.
But on days when I can give focused attention to a project early on, it seems to set the tone for the rest of my day. Somehow things just come together better!
Whether we’re talking grocery shopping, vacuuming the house, bookwork, studying, etc. Give it a high priority and focused effort early in the day. You will be delighted how it sets the tone for your day!
Off Time
Off time is time when you’re typically off. Perhaps it is the evenings and the weekends, the time when you typically relax or plan fun extracurricular activities.
Now I enjoy my off time as much as the next person and have no desire to become a workaholic. But let me tell you – off time can be great for catch up when things are busy. And I’m not talking schedule work during all your off time. But consider something bite size and doable that needs addressing and get it done one evening next week! Yes, you’ll sacrifice an evening off, but you’ll also be a bit closer to caught up, which can be so encouraging!
Frequently, I find that when I’m overwhelmed with projects that I need to catch up, once I get started they are not near as intimidating as I thought they were before I began! Starting really is half the battle!
Playing catch up doesn’t need to rob you of a life, but it also doesn’t need to be in the back of your mind overwhelming you! Sometimes putting in an extra evening or two of effort is all you need to get you back on track!
Avoid Playing Catch Up
Not 100% doable, but another way to avoid playing catch up is to stay on top of your work and responsibilities. Schedule out what you need to do and be thorough in your work. Don’t create piles for yourself to clean up and go through later, don’t postpone less desirable tasks. Create an exhaustive list and then go through it methodically.
I’m not saying this will help you avoid playing catch up ever again, but it will help reduce the amount of catching up that is necessary!
This is one reason I try to schedule out my week ahead. I anticipate what tasks are coming up, what dates I need to have paperwork done by and what projects I’d like to accomplish. My week rarely goes as planned – things have a way of coming up. But I’m a lot closer to where I need to be at the end of the week then if I had made no plan at all!
Embrace the Different Seasons
As I said earlier, some seasons will be busier (ideally) than others. For instance, in retail you hope (and pray) that the fall/winter shopping season will be busier than the quiet days over summer when folks were gone on vacation.
Use those seasonal shifts to your advantage! Plan to catch up all the things during those quiet days! Listen to yourself talk – those things you tell others you would do “if you had time” – now is your chance!
And come the holidays when things begin to bustle – lean in and enjoy it! This is what you worked towards every quiet day over the summer!
So here’s to playing catch up – may we all be just a bit more savvy on what to agree to do and how to get it done. Remember, we all have the same number of hours in a day, we just have to be intentional in how we spend it!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Keep Reading: https://www.theamericanlady.com/2022/09/28/life-of-your-dreams/