Never Have To Do Anything Right Now

That’s my time management tip. It’s my stress reduction tip. It’s something I learned years ago. Think about it: What brings you stress . . When you have to get something done right now, and the clock is ticking? Think about the last time you felt stress? Were you working against the clock, trying to get somewhere or get something done? Could any of that been done earlier? Obviously, there are certain things that have to be done right now: work, appointments and meetings are scheduled at particular times, kids have to be fed when they wake up, etc. And, it seems that the younger you are, the more “right nows” there are. So never is too strong a word. But do as much as you can early, before you really HAVE to. For instance: what can you do the night before to make the morning rush easier? What you can you do to make dinner in the morning, so that meal isn’t prepared under stress. Prepare next Sunday’s lesson this Sunday. Doing something before it really HAS to be done is a happy, peaceful feeling rather than a stressful one. Though I learned it, I don’t always live it. Just the other day, I was madly trying to get something done, feeling stress and pressure. I was reminded of this tip I learned years ago: I’ve known I had to get my spring Keynote program written and have been working on it, actually more worrying about it, for literally months. We started our performances on Friday, so it had to be done, and done now- I was out of procrastination time! Last Sunday night, I slept two hours, then was wide awake worrying about it. So I got up and finished it then. What would have been a fun, creative activity for me if I’d done it a couple of months ago, turned into a stressful burden, because I didn’t follow my own advice. So that’s why I decided to post this- to remind myself what I know. Just a thought . . .