In the hustle and bustle of modern life, it is easy to become overwhelmed. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to do everything that we hope to accomplish. As a result, people are tired, frustrated, and stressed out. If this sounds familiar, you may be trying to do too much. Fortunately, there is hope! I'll share some things you can do to better manage your time and recover your sanity.
There are a limited amount of hours in the day so it is important to focus on the really important things in life. To illustrate why it is important to prioritize, consider the Biblical example of two sisters in Luke 10 who were blessed by a visit from Jesus. The sisters responded to his visit differently. Mary immediately sat at his feet and listened intently to everything he had to say. Martha, on the other hand, “was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” She should have been spending time with the Lord instead:
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41,42).
We all have a little Martha inside of us. And like Martha, we grow impatient and stressed out because we are working hard on the wrong things. Some parents, for example, are so busy running their children around from one extracurricular activity to another that they are completely overwhelmed. Their week is a blur. Soccer games all weekend with mandatory practices throughout the week for little Johnny and piano and ballet lessons for Jane. It can get to the point that mom and dad "divide and conquer" because each child has a different activity at conflicting times and the family is separated for long periods of time.
There is certainly nothing wrong with soccer, ballet, or piano. In fact the benefits can be enormous. However, playing soccer is not a necessity and in some cases may simply be overwhelming for those families with a lot of things going on. It can also deprive the family of more important activities that promote a higher quality of life and family unity.
Since time is a precious commodity, all of us must focus time and energy on what is really important. Here is something that I recommend to help. Get a piece of paper and label three columns with the headings – ‘Stuff to Do’, ‘Importance’, and ‘Priority’. Now think about everything you would like to do or have planned over the next few days or weeks and write them down on your list (order is not important at this time). Once you have written down everything you can think of, go to the column labeled ‘Importance’ and label each item as either, ‘Must Do’, ‘Should Do’, or ‘Nice to Do’.
The goal is to identify those things that really need to get done and separate out less important tasks. Generally speaking, approximately 1/3 of the items on your list should be absolutely necessary. If all of your items are 'Must Do' than you are either the President of the United States (if this is you, I would like to thank you Mr. President for reading my little blog) or you may be obsessing over things that really are not critical but you believe they are. You are probably not the President so review the list to determine if what you've labeled as ‘Must Do’ is really a "must do." If the consequences are not significant, like paying the mortgage, eating, preparing for surgery, or taking little Johnny to school on time, then the activity is probably a 'Nice to Do' rather than a 'Must Do'.
Now that your list is complete, it is time to prioritize each within each category. Label the “Must Do” with a A1, A2, A3, etc. and the “Should Do’ items with a B1, B2, B3, and finally the ‘Nice to Do’ items as C1, C2, C3, etc. At this point you will have identified all of the things you want to do, their importance, and the priority.
You may be saying to yourself, "I don't have time to make a list!" You'll find that it really does not take that long and you'll quickly realize the benefits. I can tell you that this process helped me achieve balance in my life and reduce stress. I have a great many interests, but not enough time. So it is necessary for me to focus on what is really important -- family, marriage, faith, health, and work are at the top of my list. Other things simply have to wait.
For example, I love old cars and have a beautiful 57 Chevy in my garage that is 90% restored. I would love to finish it and cruise the boulevard on Saturday, but in the grand scheme of things it is not a priority in my life right now. It is a 'Nice to Do'. On occassion I work on it, but only when the Must/Should Do items on my list are complete and I have the energy.
I'm sure many of you reading this can cerainly relate to the above. There may be things that you enjoy doing that are simply not that important compared to others. Prioritize and conquer. If you get through all of the 'Must Do' and 'Should Do' items on your list, you will feel a great sense of accomplishment and you won't feel guilty working on the 'Nice to Do' items. You will be more organized and filled with a tremendous sense of power and control. Best of all, you will actually accomplish more because you are not overwhelmed!
Lastly, remember to keep your list up-to-date. This is not a one-time activity but on-going task because priorities in life change over time. Commit to this every day so you remain focused on what is really important and eliminate those things that only add to your stress and frustration.
Best of luck!
