Time management tips can serve as a gateway to fulfillment by helping you develop a flexible approach. Every time she finds time for a project she loves, she feels like she is diving into a beautiful, clear lake. You immerse yourself in work and find it refreshing! Sometimes you may even feel yourself being gently carried forward by the flow of your concentration. Best of all, you build confidence every time you stay on track.
But what about rigidity? That is another matter entirely! Sparks fly and patience sprouts. Want so so much to stick with his plan that other parts of his life suffer. Think about your personal experiences with rigidity; both yours and others. Relationships can be the first casualty when you become too rigid. And your body can also complain bitterly.
There are good news. You can learn to distinguish between focus and rigidity in daily decisions! Here are 3 essential steps to strengthen the flexible approach and avoid the pitfalls of rigidity:
Step #1: List your top priorities and COMMIT to maintaining balance.
Rigidity is an approach that has lost its balance. This can happen to you or anyone else! But consciously broadening your perspective helps you breathe easy. Start by asking yourself what your core commitments are. Write them down. Then clarify the limits for each one up front. For example, you might decide “My plans for the weekend take precedence over finishing that report!” Then, if you’re tempted to cancel a special meeting to review your project for the tenth time, an internal warning bell can help you realign your time choices with your top priorities.
Step #2: Plan your day the night before and give each priority its fair share of time.
Do you associate planning with rigidity? If so, you may stop planning regularly. But realistic planning actually protected the flow of your day!
First of all, if you keep a well-planned schedule, you will find it a lot easier to keep up with a healthy daily life. This is especially true if you factor in a bit of flex time. I pray a lot! If you’re feeling apprehensive about an upcoming project, try allocating more time to develop the optimal approach and stay mobilized.
There is a second advantage. If you divide your project into daily increments, you won’t have a problem with a bottleneck at the last minute. Your nearest and dearest will thank you, because you are probably a lot easier to live with too! When you are rested, healthy, and well fed, you retain your perspective more easily. You also build resilience.
Step #3: Compassionately flow with the unexpected.
oops! A sudden change can ruin even your best plans. If you adamantly refuse to flex, your rigid approach may actually crash with the new state of affairs! This is the ideal time to bring compassion. Take a deep breath, take a few minutes to reorient yourself, and see if you can bring a new point of view to explore the new situation. Affirm that you can thrive despite this current setback and focus on your essential self-esteem. Agility and creativity can open up new perspectives of opportunities. Let your options expand as you map out new terrain. Then intensify your focus on your new course of action. You will find this process much easier to perform if you have followed steps #1 and #2.
No matter how much you’ve struggled in the past, you can develop a flexible approach! It is simply you at your best. Remember that self-reference is one of your best allies. Check in with yourself over time. Find your balance “sweet spot,” as you flex here and hold steady there. The most useful thing is to evaluate the results with a friendly objectivity. With practice, like the surfer, you can use both your focus and flexibility to skillfully ride the waves of change!
So how can you start creating a flexible approach today to make the most of your time?
