It's about TIME

Time is in your hand, but is it really?

From the morning to night I feel like I am running against time and can never catch up.

I have all the tools, like my smart phone ( which makes me feel unsmart many times) and I feel instead of having this instrument in my hand,  it rather has me in its!

For example,  I am all the time at its mercy for answering phone calls and text messaging, taking pictures and sending, staying up to date with all my social networks and what not.  I was not like this.  If people did not get me when they called ( in the times when there was no answering machines), they'd wait.   I did not  have to be available all the time even when I am driving.

But these days I have become like this.  I am checking my e mails a million time and I feel some days nothing is done.

Well, this is when I console myself  with a cup of hot coco or just sit straight and take a deep breath.

  This is the key.  I remind myself of a  Time Management class I had taken a couple of years ago.

Our leader gave us a cup, some pebbles or large beads  and some sand or seed beads.  She asked us to fill the cup.  Everything has to fit.

 I found that when I poured the pebbles or  large beads first and then poured the seed beads every thing fitted but if I'd  try to start with the seed beads first and then the large beads, it did  not work.

The same thing happens in life, in  my daily life.

 Prioritize what is important .

 This new year I sat down and wrote down what is important to me in life, in my jewelry business and now I made a concrete  plan  how I want to achieve it.  When I am precise and to the point about the what, when how aspects of  the plan,  it made it easier for me to put the details on a daily and weekly basis.  These are like  my big beads .  Checking e mails and keeping in touch with   Face book and Twitter, I consider are the seed beads.  They have to go but after the big beads.

Planning in 90 minutes slots

I had read this is  in some time management blog ( I forgot the main source now, sorry I can't give the credit to the writer),  now  I had a chance to incorporate that recently and found that it is highly effective.  Twice a week I take care of my grand  baby who sleeps for about 90 minutes at a stretch
 ( plus - minus of course).  Her naps are my time to write.  I think this time frame and the specific topic  keep me focused.  This works much better than the other days when I have the whole day to myself.

The other days are for making jewelry, going to post office and bank, taking pictures and uploading in Etsy etc along with running the house.

My goal is to have my week more specific with these activities instead of keeping a whatever-whenever attitude.

Multi tasking:  Is it good or bad?

How about doing two or more things at a time?  Do I do it?  Yes.  For example I can knit easy designs while watching T.V. or fold my laundry while chatting with a friend ( in speaker phone  of course) but can I do an intricate wire work and also watch a movie?  No I can't.  Or, listen to an audio book and also follow a tutorial that I have recently down loaded?  No I can't.  I make mistakes in both.  I miss some part of the story and miss some important things in the tutorial.

I thought it was my short coming until I watched a program in the PBS  about - how our brain works and then came across this article.   So I decided to give my full attention to things I consider important, like the stories  my little friend says about her day at school and baking a special cake.


I like to give my 100%.

And that includes the jewelry I make and sell. 

This is out WEEK 3's topic inspired by Sally's blog project.  Please check out all the other bloggers posts too  about Time .