Week 7 - Preserve and Manage Your Time

Ok, so I know it was "Week 6" a couple days ago, but I am playing a little catch up as I should be in Week 12. You can deal with this...lol

"Alas! There is no casting and anchor in the stream of time! - Countess of Blessington, Country Quarters, Vol. I (1850)

The Ask:
How much time do I devote to pursuing my dreams? Do I put things off? Why? Do I ever miscalculate the time it takes for me to accomplish certain tasks? Do I say "yes" too often when people ask for my time? How would I fill an extra hour in the day? Do I consider my free time sacred? How would I feel if I could spend more time pursing my dreams?

Oh boy! I am in trouble with this one! I'm not sure what my "dream" is so I don't know how much time I devote to it. I do love education, and I spend a lot of time reading, researching, Pinteresting education things professional development, leadership and a million other things, is that a dream or a passion? Can they be the same? Can it be I have a passion for this, but don't know what I want to do with it as a "dream"? Maybe dream isn't the right wording? I often go to conferences and hearing these moving speakers and flash to thinking "I could do that" and I believe I could, but what would I have to say that would interest a whole room of people. So the fact that I am constantly doing the research could mean I am preparing for that "something"... more to ponder on that one.

I do put things off - I think I am genuinely lazy - most people that know or knew me, I don't think  would consider me lazy, but its what I am becoming, I think. I don't have time to really hone my passion, I feel as I am always in transit to work, thinking about work, coming home from work... my book said "If you're always working and leave little time for play or idleness, you are lose perspective. Work becomes all-consuming, an addiction". I don't know if its that work is my addiction, or that it is more coming home to an empty house. At least at work I am doing things, accomplishing things. Again, more to ponder there.

It gives these 3 questions to use regarding the necessity of a particular task
1) Do I want/need to do this?
2)How much time will it take?
3) Can I afford the time

I hear myself think "As a nurse you are always taught to give of yourself and your time", but I don't know that that is true, I think that is a perspective, a culture, as I don't remember a course being taught on that. We do tend to get caught up in self sacrificing of the role, taught to us by a long lineage of nurses before us, and I think their own culture and time was a driver in that and I think we forgot to look up and see that times have changed and we have to change and accommodate. After all there are alot of nurses out there that have healthy boundaries on their time, and a good work life balance... so I guess if you don't have a "life" then you can't really have a balance then, can you?

The Practice
Currently, I preserve and manage my time by:
Well, embarrassingly enough, I have spent a great deal of time organizing my work life. I have 19 clinics that I have to keep organized, so our team has developed these great tracking tools to help with that, and I LIVE in my electronic calendar. I have plenty of things to do at work, but I don't non of those practices translate over to my personal life. I have no "personal" life. I did have a jewelry class that that time there was sacred and I always made time for it.


I probably spend too much time doing:
Work-related things.


I can more easily turn the life I'm living into the life I want if I spend more time doing:
At the risk of sounding cliche, I need to find what "sparks" joy (Thank you Mari Kondo). I am still obsessed with jewelry - I have made a work bench on my back porch, and have all the tools and things I need to do it, I just need the weather to stop playing games so I can spend some time out there and organize it. Then I have to look at - did I enjoy the class time for the social aspects? I think so.
I need to figure out what some next steps are with education things. I helped a colleague at work actually prepare for her national convention talk - helped her do what I have dreamed of doing. I need to work on this.

Affirm:
Rather than sneak around time or fill it unwisely, I commit to a schedule that promotes organization, reduces stress, and preserves a part of myself.
When I preserve and manage my time, I can focus and prioritize, and begin to add in things that bring me joy.

All for now...