Using your time wisely and finding success is founded on self-knowledge and self-respect. You might think that it requires organization skills and discipline - and those things are certainly important. But even more important to your time success is being your own best friend.
In everyday practice what that means is finding time to listen, understand, and stand up for yourself. When you are in your own corner and you know that you can count on YOU, there's not much that can stand in your way.
Maybe you'll feel momentarily paralyzed by a project that is coming due. Maybe you'll feel undercut by someone's criticism or challenged by their urgency, but you know that you can (and will) always step in as a friend and make your life manageable again.
How?
Well, your first step is to get to know yourself better and, specifically, to understand how you relate to challenges now. Here's an exercise that helps you get a sense of this for yourself:
The Short Jump Visualization:
1. If you were asked to jump as far as you could, you would most likely do so easily and immediately. Picture yourself doing it. Do you give yourself a running start? How far do you get and how do you feel?
2. Now, envision jumping the same distance, but this time picture yourself leaping over an area covered with sticky tar. Do you hesitate? How do you feel?
2. Now, envision jumping the same distance, but this time picture yourself leaping over an area covered with sticky tar. Do you hesitate? How do you feel?
3. Next, envision that you must leap this distance between two platforms, with a fifty-foot drop between them. How do you feel now? What do you do?
In all likelihood, you will never have to jump over an abyss – at least I hope not! And the wonderful thing is that we often have a lot more control over our challenges than we realize. So, how about this idea? Instead of upping the ante when confronted with something you're not sure you can do, try lowering the stakes.
