Strategy #7. Treat Your To-read Pile Like A River, Not A Bucket. If you are like me, you have a ton of reading material on your bedside table or on your desk or on your phone or tablet. It seems to be ever growing and the expectation of getting through it all feels like such a burden that it is easy to ignore it and, even worse, waste my time by surfing some media site. I had lost touch with why I had such a pile in the first place; that I am curious and always looking for information that excites me or is beneficial to my professional success or personal growth. Now I see the pile as a stream continually flowing past me. I had to tell myself that it was ok not to reach the bottom of the pile. I can just pick whatever I’m in the mood to read.
Strategy #8. Practice instantaneous generosity. People often say that giving of their time and money and effort to help others is a source of great long term satisfaction. So it’s surprising that we don’t prioritize acts of kindness in our daily lives. For example: We get an impulse to help someone who is struggling by calling, or sending an email or money. But we decide to put these actions on hold until some more urgent tasks are completed. It is better to give in to kind impulses right away before you find excuses not to. Dashing a note of praise is more valuable than never writing a longer, more profound note. And donating to a cause that moves you is worthwhile, even if you fret that there are more deserving causes out there.
If you think I can help with time management or you have questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 361.442.9590.