Most would think that with the advent of technology, all the new gadgets and devices, we would drastically free up tons of time! Our productivity may certainly have increased but managing time is still the elusive goal. I doubt there are many people who can claim that they don’t know what it feels like to be utterly stressed out or so overwhelmed you can`t make sense of anything – all due to a lack of time.
Doesn´t it make sense that you would do something it about it, if you complain everyday that you feel like your days consist of merely putting out fires? But why do so many people complain about time and never do anything about it? What separates those who take action, get amazing results to those who don´t take action and live with the same results? People who complain but don´t do anything about it might have some mental barriers to break through first.
Self limiting Beliefs and negative programming
Growing up you were influenced by your parents and others and you started to model their behaviour. Unfortunately you were too young to decide whether some actions were good or bad, or helpful or not. So if you have picked up and learnt bad habits, you can also unlearn them as well. If you find yourself saying `It is just the way I am, I have always been like this`, you may be a victim of negative programming.
I was born disorganized
You might deem that you were born messy or that you have a certain gene that keeps you `disorderly`, of course this is not true. You may half-mindedly say `I can´t be more organized, I was born this way´ but thinking in this way is disempowering and keeps you trapped in the same position that you don´t want to be in. Keep in mind as well, that if you believe that you can´t change, you are right; the same goes for believing that you can change, you are also right, so you decide!
Moving forward
Stop sabotaging yourself from having a fabulous life, with tons of more time and tons of less stress. Almost everybody develops habits that don`t serve them, but what really sets the group apart are those who conquer their bad habits from those who are a slave to their habits. If you don`t want to feel frazzled, weighed down or anxious anymore, stop listening to the limiting thoughts that keep you where you are and from being productive.
Giving up to gain
For many, to achieve something, they have to give up something first and this could be another mental barrier. You might have to give up that extra coffee break in the morning; that extra 10minutes snooze or give up the feeling of being in your comfort zone. Whatever it is, you most likely know what is holding you back. If you don´t, ask yourself what is causing you to falter moving forward? What are the thoughts or feelings that are holding you back? Once you are able to identify what your mental barriers are to time management, you are in a much better position to break through them.
Kirstin O’Donovan is the Founder of TopResultsCoaching and the Author of ‘The Entrepreneur’s Guide To Time Management’. Kirstin is a Productivity coach, who specializes in helping individuals gain control over their life and to feel more productive and organized to achieve the results they desire in life. Kirstin is committed to empowering others to create a life that they desire and build a mindset that will support seeing their dreams and desires turn into reality.