subject: Time Management Tips - 3 Steps To Break Old Patterns And Create New Worlds Of Possibility [print this page] "When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge."
Tuli Kupferburg
Time management tips help you see habitual time choices with fresh eyes. Suddenly or gradually, you recognize patterns that keep you from living your best life. Only then can you make certain conscious choices that liberate your potential. This is why time management is one of the most powerful skills that you can cultivate in your life.
This requires some careful assessment, of course. Which sets of time choices do you keep? Which do you change? Consider the following:
* Some of your patterns keep life fresh for you.
These include meaningful rituals. You may use a sequence of choices to open and close your day, for example. Then there are the special pastimes that you engage in on a regular basis. Then there are the time tools that keep you healthy, focused and productive, like templates and to do lists. These can also create patterns that help you make the most of your time.
* Some patterns serve as dead weight.
Then again, some patterns simply weigh you down. And then a curious phenomenon occurs. As patterns become rote responses, you simply can't see what is around you as clearly!
These constricting patterns are fascinating to explore. Think back over your life. Where have you lost touch with your power of choice? How has this muddied your window on the world? Although you might find this uncomfortable to examine, taking this level of responsibility enables you to rethink how far your power can truly extend.
Here are a few simple tips that can prove astonishingly effective, if you regularly apply them to your life:
#1: Locate the ruts in your life.
To locate patterns that need shaking up, think through your day. What activities seem gray and undefined to you? What times of day do you slide into auto control? What feelings dominate... pressure, restlessness, boredom, or anger? How might you rethink the situation, to see the range of options you have turned a blind eye to?
#2: Spotlight significant choices, and brainstorm alternatives.
Let's say that one of your patterns is to always say yes when a co-worker interrupts you to ask for help with her project. You like feeling helpful, but you never complete your own tasks. What will be the sequence of gains and losses if you say a firm but friendly "No" the next time she asks? You may be able to predict some effects. Others might revise your understanding of your relationship considerably.
#3: Make the easiest change first. Take note of what happens.
Learning to recognize and change patterns needn't entail a big time commitment. You simply have to be willing, and even eager, to see what happens next. The results will always enrich your understanding.
By starting with the smallest change, you will be able to notice the ripple effect with relatively little discomfort. Yet, you will generally discover more side effects than you anticipate. It can be like pulling up a small, annoying weed and being astonished by its extensive root system! Remember that some effects will be visible immediately. Others will take time to ripen. As you grow, your relationships may evolve, as well.
As you shift one small pattern and start experiencing the benefits, possibilities will open wide. This is an excellent time to keep a journal, and document changes. When you begin to explore, be on the lookout for fresh opportunities to re-vision your world. Everything will begin to look different!
"The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."
Marcel Proust
What can you do right now to replace worn out patterns with exciting new potentials?
