Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Time . . . is on our side

Managing time effectively is a necessary skill for today’s busy lifestyle. Getting the most out of the time we have for taking care of ourselves, or for building relationships is a very significant part of time management. The University of Nebraska Extension Service has identified seven traits of people who handle time to their advantage. Consider these traits and how you can apply them to your life.

• They believe they deserve time for themselves. Their sense of self-worth inspires them to claim time for themselves. They believe in their responsibility to preserve their health, their mental and emotional well-being, and their creativity.

• They experience the present moment to the fullest. They have outstanding powers of concentration and capacity to focus on the moment at hand. This quality appears in both work and play. They demonstrate an exuberant gift for laughter, pleasure and enjoyment.

• They never seem to be in a hurry. Time-integrated people set their own pace, regardless of their expectations and somehow convince those around them to accept them on their own terms. Even their body language tends to be graceful and purposeful, not jerky and rushed.

• They make time to get what they want. They believe they have the right to arrange their time to fit in the things they want to do. They accomplish more than other people with the same amount of time at their disposal.

• They welcome the future with confidence. They don’t live in constant anticipation of deadlines, responsibilities, due dates, tomorrow, next year or five years ahead. They realize that life is precious, that change supplies opportunities for growth, and they remain open and flexible.

• They create a rich, usable past. They don’t waste precious time with negative thoughts about the past, guilt, anger, regret or blame of others. They regard the past in a positive way, as a rich harvest of experience.

• They spend time on relationships that matter. They try to increase their time with people who are important to them, in both their personal and work lives. They assertively seek out mentors. They renew relationships with old friends and distant family members. They don’t carelessly use other people. They are willing to teach and learn, as well as care and be cared for.

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