Maximize Your Time!

Part 2

Time is a motivator and de-motivator

By Wendy Collier, B. Ed.

Summary: Understand how time motivates us to be productive but can also stress us out to the point we become unproductive. Learn why the skill of re-focusing is critical.

When you have a deadline at work there’s nothing more motivating than having only 30 minutes to do an hour’s worth of work.

If you have a certain amount of time to get your paperwork completed and it takes twice as long as you thought, then you will not only be motivated to get it done, you will also be stressed.

At this point, you have to be aware enough to recognize that you have a choice. The two choices are 1) to frantically continue to work towards getting it done, or 2) to use one of the “one-minute” stress release techniques. This allows you to release the stress hormones and get yourself calmed down enough to focus better and get the work done in a more efficient way.

If one or two clients are late for their appointments and it throws the whole day off, you will automatically be motivated to try to catch up. Pay attention to what your thoughts are, what’s happening physically in your body and how you react in these stressful situations.

It always amazes us how our reactions to certain people and situations are programmed. We seem to almost go into autopilot. This is another point of power, where you can stop yourself from going into autopilot and make a different choice in terms of how to react and how to deal with the situation in the present moment.

Being in the present moment is one way to maximize your time. You will need to get yourself refocused on your other clients coming in, so you don’t create stress for them by making them late for other things in their day. This prevents other issues that can waste even more time and energy.

My affirmation for getting myself into the present moment: “My mind is 100% focused on the present moment.”