I hope that you and your family enjoy a lovely and blessed Easter this Sunday! Mike and I will be spending the joyous holiday with family here in the Atlanta area.

While we soak in springtime, warmer weather, blossoms, and sunshine, this is a good time to take note of the beginning of a busy season for many of us. For parents, summer means being stretched for time in the months ahead. Whether you have children or not, summer brings a balancing act of professional priorities and time off to enjoy vacations, time with family, and long summer evenings.

I’ve heard many entrepreneurs and professionals express that “there aren’t enough hours in the day.”

If you can relate, know that you are certainly not alone, but it could be worth your while to reshape your beliefs about time management.

Sure, you have a lot to do. But have you ever stopped to consider that viewing time as a limited resource is to your detriment?

Instead of focusing on not having enough time, focus on learning how to create more time.

We may be limited to 24 hours in a day, but most of us can utilize our time more effectively. If you feel there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish your goals, it’s time to revamp your time management system with these 3 guiding principles.

1. Align your values with your actions.

We all want time to work for us, not against us. But what does that really mean? Time working for you means making use of your time in a way that aligns with your core values and brings you closer to reaching your goals.

To feel a sense of fulfillment and achievement, you need to have clarity about what matters most to you and ensure that your actions support those goals and values. For example, you may value your creativity. But it’s easy to let a long to-do list get in the way of spending time on your creative pursuits. By clarifying that creativity is an important value, you can prioritize creative tasks.

You might be surprised that seemingly small action steps can help bring you closer to achieving the goals that reflect your core values.

• Make sure you have clarity about the priorities you value most in life by asking, “What do I really want?”
• Eliminate activities in your schedule that aren’t closely connected to your goals and values.
• Regularly evaluate whether your actions align with your values and identify strategies that will help you reach your goals.

2. Have the courage to say no.

Working with entrepreneurs, I’ve learned that some people are overwhelmed by their to-do list because they have a difficult time saying no. Afraid of being judged, facing rejection, or missing an opportunities, they say yes to everyone and everything that comes their way.

But saying yes to people and accepting responsibilities against your better judgement takes you away from the activities that align with your goals. Don’t be afraid to say no to opportunities that compromise your values or take you away from time dedicated to the activities and people that matter most to you.

How can you muster up the courage to say no?

Think about a time when you reluctantly said yes to something you knew would be difficult for you, and immediately regretted it. Focus on the emotional stress that your choice caused you. Perhaps you looked for ways to get out of the responsibility, fulfilled it begrudgingly, or flaked out because you were too busy or overwhelmed. When you have a gut feeling that you shouldn’t say yes, remember that it’s easier to build the courage to say no now rather than suffer the consequences of a poor decision later.

Sometimes, as business owners and busy professionals, our careers require that we say no to family. Our families make sacrifices for us, just as we make sacrifices for them. It’s important to remember that our children, spouses, and extended family members support us in making our careers a priority even if it means less time together or trading off parental duties with work responsibilities.

That’s why it’s essential that we prioritize them when we can. Let them know how important they are, not only with words but also with actions as we spend quality time with them.

Here’s an exercise I give my clients each month…

Begin the month by sitting down with your calendar and planning out your time for that month. Start by scheduling spiritual activities that restore your soul first on your calendar. This is one way to prioritize your values, as we talked about above. If you can, involve your family in those spiritual activities. Next, schedule family time, particularly anything you don’t want to miss.

Finally, fill in your work priorities around your family and spiritual activities. You will find that there’s time for all of your priorities to coexist on your calendar. By starting each month this way, you’ll create a habit that makes it easier to accomplish everything you need and want to, even when you’re busy.

3. Delegate, delegate, delegate.

Businesses thrive when leaders spend the bulk of their time laser focused on the activity they do best. In order to achieve this, you need to get comfortable with outsourcing other tasks in your business to experts you trust. Decide what works best for your business – whether it’s a team of full-time employees, contractors, freelancers, or a combination – and delegate whatever you can, whenever you can.

Many business owners eat, sleep, and breathe their business so letting go of control can be difficult at first. But when you try to do it all, nothing gets the attention it deserves. Delegating gives you the time necessary to focus on executing a shorter list of tasks that align with your goals and core values.

Greater time management brings greater fulfillment.

Utilizing strategies to improve your time management skills opens the door for a more prosperous, profitable career and a happier, more fulfilled existence. When you stop fighting the clock and learn to make the most of your time, worlds will open up for you.

At Celeste Giordano Consulting, I teach my clients time management skills that allow them to focus on achieving the outcomes that drive their greatest passions. If you’re ready to become a master of your time, rather than letting the clock be your master, contact me today.

One last thought to leave you with: You have 86,000 seconds in a day. How will you spend them to create a life you love?

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus^TM” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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