As an ENFJ in the Myers Briggs personality system, I have a tendency to wander, physically and mentally. I love doing everything and I don’t want to miss anything. That personality makes me a little unfocused. I struggle with sticking to a task for more than an hour. As I write this I am tempted to check my cell phone to see if anything is new on Instagram.
I know this about myself and I work at being more disciplined every day. It is like someone trying to quit a mild addiction - I must continue to work at staying focused in order to achieve my goals and dreams.
Time management is an illusion. We need to manage ourselves, not our time. I have the same amount of time as everyone else. I may have less years in front of me than a 20 year old, but who really knows how long we each have left? We have today, in this moment.
Discipline is the key to managing yourself and your time. How can we develop discipline?
In his article, Three Keys to Developing Daily Disciplines, Todd Duncan lists - clarifying values, blocking time, and forming habits. I would add accepting failure and moving forward.
Clarifying values means that you must know yourself. Spending time in self study and self love will allow you to truly understand exactly what is important to you. If you don’t have a good grasp on your values and morals, you will have a difficult time prioritizing tasks to reach your goals. Because I know that I am easily distracted and bored, I must schedule in breaks and variety to keep me focused.
I love the idea of blocking time. We do it in our veterinary hospitals giving 20, 40, or 60 minutes to each appointment. I like giving myself a set amount of time for each task that I want to accomplish in a day (Including my breaks). Planning my day first thing in the morning allows me to be more productive and disciplined than if I just “wing” it. If left unscheduled, my brain will be wandering around wondering what to do next. Maybe just get a snack and watch my show on Netflix. That does not make me productive or disciplined.
Once you get into a rhythm of planning your day, it will become a habit. You must resolve to get the important things scheduled and done first in your day. Your values will help you determine the things to put first on your list. If you value your health above all else, you need to schedule your diet and exercise first. They are your priority. I set goals, outline steps, schedule things on my calendar, and vow to stick to it. I have to set my timer and keep the phone on the other side of the table so I don’t pick it up and start scrolling through instagram.
The last and final key is dealing with your failures. I often set out to do something and get interrupted by something or someone. I get distracted by something (I told you I struggle with focus), my husband starts talking to me, the dogs need to go out, or the phone rings - it is one of my kids. I drop everything when my kids or parents call. When my plan does not go “as planned” I reschedule. I leave a time block open in my day to do the thing that I was doing when I was interrupted - “the reschedule block”. Giving up is not an option. If I give up, I have lost. Overcoming the disappointment that comes along with distraction and failure is my constant struggle. But if I listen to my friend Rocky, I will never indulge in my failures.
“Going in one more round when you don’t think you can. That’s what makes all the difference in your life.” – Rocky Balboa
If you struggle to be more focused and disciplined, like me, start today and vow to set some goals, examine your priorities, and get something on your schedule. One small step will start you in the right direction to achieving your dreams.
Dr. Julie Cappel
“The most powerful decision you will ever make in productivity is building rhythm and routine around doing what matters most.” - Todd Duncan.
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