Over the Christmas break I identified some jobs to do at home that have been hanging over me for a while. One of them was to clean out the walk-in food pantry in the kitchen. Over the years it has filled up with stuff, making it hard to find space for anything new. Plus it’s always a challenge finding things once they’re in there.
So last week I rolled up my sleeves and got stuck in. I threw out everything past its use by date, including the spices dated February 2011. Out went the half packets of pasta, the dreary looking rice, and some dodgy tins going back to one of the great wars. All gone.
I then reordered the space, putting the stuff we use the most in easy reach, and things we rarely use on the top shelves. I bought a few new containers for a bunch of cooking and baking ingredients, all now neatly stacked and easy to access. Suddenly, we have plenty of room. In fact, several spare shelves are waiting to receive some delightful goodies! I ended up with a lot more space than I thought I had.
Do you ever feel like you don’t have enough time? Is your schedule full of stuff?
OK, so you know where I’m going with this. If you look at your schedule over the next quarter, is it already jam-packed? Do you already have double or triple booked timeslots? If you look at your task list, is it already full of too many low to medium priorities that are getting in the way of the important ones?
I reckon we all have more time than we think. The problem is we fill up our schedules and task list without any thought, and then complain later that we don’t have enough time. Maybe it’s time to go through your ‘pantry’ of time and clear it out. Why not review your calendar and be ruthless about the meetings you will attend over the next few months? If you can’t get out of a meeting altogether, consider shortening it, or reduce the time you will commit to being part of it. Review your task list and kill anything that doesn’t add enough value. Either delete it or delegate it but get it off your plate.
We all have 24 hours every day. Our success in life depends on the choices we make as to how we use them.