By: Linda Sapadin
Mark Twain "An accomplishment sticks to a person." Japanese proverb "Well done is better than well said." Benjamin Franklin Two important principles guide the understanding of time management. The first is valuing yourself. When you value yourself, then most of your days will feel rewarding and worthwhile. When you don't value yourself, however, you will usually feel dissatisfied with how you spend your days. You may wonder what's wrong with me, feeling empty and lonely as you fill up your days with meaningless, boring tasks. Or you may wonder what's the matter with me that I can't get everything done? Feeling overwhelmed, frazzled and exhausted, you spend your days trying to do too much, believing that you have no choice but to do it all. The second principle is valuing your work. When you value your work, (whether it's paid work or not), you take what you do seriously. It doesn't matter to you whether somebody is watching you or you're being graded on your performance. Regardless of the extrinsic rewards, you take intrinsic pride in doing a good job. This is true whether the task is relatively mundane, such as organizing your stuff, or relatively creative like writing a report or painting a picture. Of course, you may not necessarily love every aspect of your work, but because you value yourself and the work you do, you stay on task, despite these moments of frustration or disillusionment.As you become more aware of your own personality patterns, you may notice that some attitudes enhance your ability to work well while others make everything more difficult.
To enhance your ability to work well:
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First, quiet your mind and body. Then listen to yourself to know what it is that you really want to accomplish.
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Learn something valuable from every experience, particularly if the experience is frustrating or difficult.
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Forgive yourself for mistakes--even those stupid mistakes that you never should have made.
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Persevere, even when it seems for the moment that you will never be able to "get it."
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Appreciate what you have already accomplished rather than only focusing on what still needs to be done. By valuing the work you do, you enhance the respect you have for yourself. By valuing yourself, you seek work that has meaning and significance for you. What a nice interactive combination! Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a psychologist in private practice who works with individuals, couples and families. © Copyright 2002
