Sunday, October 16, 2011

Time Management

How do I manage time?

How do I  get more hours out of the twenty four hour day?

And am I a multitasker? or, do I rather prefer to finish one project before starting another?  These were the questions my Etsy  blogger friends asked.

It reminds me of a workshop I had taken a couple of years ago.  We were to fit a jar with some big stone pebbles and a bag of seed beads.  I found to my surprise that when I poured the seed beads first I could not fit the big stones any more.  When I started with the big stones and then the seed beads, they somehow all managed to fit in the same amount of space.



My 24 hour day is like the jar.  When I started with the big jobs first, I could manage to squeeze in the  small jobs (seed bead like ones ) too.  The analogy is great.  But the challenge is to understand which ones are the important pebbles and which ones are seed beads.

To me I prioritize in the following order: health, immediate family, career and job, home and hobby, extended family, neighbors and friends.  Some times I do get side tracked and waste the whole day browsing in the internet. 


I do use a to do list, a google calender, an organizer binder and a kitchen timer to keep me in track.  Believe me, with out these tools I would be lost.

But today, this Sunday afternoon, I stop to ponder how important is it to accomplish those to do list?  It is equally important to slow down, take a break to smell the rose, enjoy a cup of hot coco and just do nothing.  That makes me more aware about life and living and what I value in this journey.

That helps me to prioritize the to do  list for the following days.

Well you asked - am I a multi tasker?

Heck yeh!  Some times I am like a whirled wind maniac, tangled with many projects at the same time.  Especially,when I am beading other ideas come and I can't stop.  And all the beads and findings make a huge big mess like this -





I hate this but I am so caught up playing with the muse, I just can't help it.



But I really do not like that.  I like to take one job at a time and like to be nice and organized, having a place for each thing and every thing in its place.

Life is not quite like that with  me.  So while the washing machine tumbles I wind up coils to creat earring.  I use the 30 minute timer to see how much time each jewelry project takes.  This helps me to price them too.  Then I must get up to give my eyes and back a break and load the dish washer.

While the stew simmers I catch up writing my blog or upload in Etsy shop.

But the best thing I like is to sit down with a bowl of yummy munchies and  check on the comments my friends leave in my blog , which is  multi tasking.  Isn't it? :) 


















Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...