Take control and avoid burnout
Don't feel you have enough control over
your life? Here are 10 great tips to help you declutter your life and
gain control once again.
Establish daily priorities
Each day, establish a list of the things you have to do and then
decide which are most important to you. Then do the most important
things first. Also, ask yourself if everything on your list really needs
doing and if it’s going to concern you too much if it doesn’t get done.
Eliminate the unimportant things by being ruthless about it — which
will be easier to do if you recognise that there are many activities
which will only waste time and won’t add much value to your life!
Streamline your life
Take a look at how you spend your time over a typical week. You may
find that you spend too much of your life in the office, or spend too
many hours doing the housework, or even do a combination of both. If
this is the case, determine what areas can be streamlined. For example,
do you really need to put in an extra hour every day at work? (Remember
that once you start doing extra at work, it almost becomes expected of
you!). Consider what you really want to do with your time, and be a bit
more selfish about it.
Minimise and make use of your commuting time
Too much time can be spent fighting your way to work — especially if
you always end up sitting in traffic in your car or squeezing onto
packed public transport services. Try minimising the time it takes to
get to work by leaving earlier in the morning and doing the same in the
evening so that you avoid the rush hour. Also, make use of your journey
time by listening to some motivational music or that instructional CD
you’ve always wanted to get into. If you are using public transport,
your journey could even be a good opportunity to catch up a few matters
or compile a ‘to do’ list for that day.
Share the load at home
If you’re constantly being pulled in different directions by family
members, then it might be time to establish some firmer rules for how
you spend your time. For example, if you’re always the person who does
the driving around for everyone — such as dropping off one of your
children and their friends at an after-school activity, and then taking
another of your children to a completely different place — then why not
let someone else take the strain for a change? You could consider
sharing the duties with your partner, a relative, a friend or a
neighbour, so that it’s not always you on call.
Consider different work options
Depending on your job, you may be able to reduce a lot of wasted
travel time by working from home. It may be that you spend a lot of time
at home anyway doing work-related tasks — and this could be a good
reason to use when persuading your boss to let you operate in such a
way. You may even be able to lighten your load by delegating work more
frequently instead of trying to be some kind of superman or superwoman!
If possible, you could even think about switching to part-time work to
give you more time for other things.
Declutter
Declutter your surroundings to help you operate in the home and
workplace in a more organised manner. Getting rid of the clutter in your
home and your office will save time — and when your surroundings are
decluttered, your mind will have more chance to relax and focus. It’s
certainly a great idea to get rid of the majority of things that you
never use or don’t need — and everything that you do need should be
given a permanent location so you know where to find it.
Cook more food and save it
One thing we are guaranteed to have to do each day is sort out some
food for ourselves. Obviously the simple solution would be to get a
takeaway every night, but a more affordable and healthier option would
be to use your time in the kitchen more wisely. For example, if you cook
something one night, consider making more than you need so that you can
freeze some of it and use the extra amount on another occasion. It
doesn’t generally take you much more time to make the extra, but it will
save you plenty of time in the long run.
Know your limitations
All too frequently we expect too much of ourselves and try to take
too much on board. Remember that no one can do everything, and be
realistic in your expectations of yourself. Also, avoid comparing your
abilities with those of others, as some people will be just naturally
better at doing certain things than you. Once you accept that it’s not
possible to do everything that you are trying to do, then you’ll realise
the only way round it is to get your family and friends to help with or
take on tasks in the home, or your work colleagues to help with or take
on tasks in the workplace.
Consider running your own business
If you feel the demands on you at work are far too much and you’re
not getting the job satisfaction you’re seeking, it might be a good idea
to consider working for yourself. It takes a brave person to set up
their own business, and while initially it might involve you having to
put in long hours, it may ultimately pay off and help you to get more
control over your life. How much you put in and how much you get out of
your business will largely be your choice — which means that working for
yourself is a great way of taking control of your life.
Be more decisive
When there is an option, it pays to be decisive. For example, at work
there may be a task that needs to be allocated — and if it is something
that you want to or don’t want to take on, then say so! All too often
people end up saddled with something they don’t want to do — or
alternatively not doing something they did want to do — because they
didn’t speak up at the time. And you can be decisive in your personal
life too. If you don’t make decisions then someone else will make them
for you — and so you end up having to go along with something that you
don’t want to do.
Taking control …
Gaining and maintaining control over what happens in your life is
never straightforward, but by following our top 10 tips you will be well
on your way to improving the amount of control that you have — which
will ultimately make you far happier!
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