Fireman? Chatty Cathy? Laid Back Dude?

Feel as if you haven’t accomplished all you wanted by day’s end? That time is simply slipping through your fingers? Are you frenzied with time? Or would you like to be in charge?

Let’s look at some time pressed personalities:

• Are you a fireman? Is every event a crisis? Tasks pile up around you, and soon you can’t see the forest for the trees. Typical activity: running flat out to the car, late again.
• The Over-Committer. Sure, you’ll take on one more task. Glad to watch the grandkids even though it means cancelling your own vacation. So busy you don’t even have time to jot down all the things you do or even the steps needed for a large project? Typical activity: Hiding in the restroom or claiming dead spots in cell phone coverage.
• The Laid Back Dude or Dudette: Do you get to things when you get to them? Problems finishing tasks or not returning phone calls? Typical activity: hanging out with coffee mug in hand, feet on the desk.
• Born to socialize? Chatty Cathy may be you. You have amazing skills when it comes to communicating, and hone them every chance you get. Long drawn out conversations are your trademark. Typical activity: Talking on a cell phone.
• The Perfectionist: You are compelled to cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s. Sometimes you leave things to the last minute, having an excuse if everything didn’t turn out exactly right. Finishing tasks to your liking requires not just more time, but more time zones. Typical activity: hunching over the latest project.

I hope you don’t recognize yourself in some of these humorous descriptions of self sabotage. If you do, here are a few tips to help you change those strategies.

• Learn to say no. No is a complete sentence. If you know you are already commitment-overloaded, simply decline, explaining that you already have a full plate.
• Limit your chats and phone calls. If needed, get a timer and set it for 5 or 10 minutes. Or keep an eye on the clock. Tell the person you’re chatting with that you have 10 minutes (or whatever it is). Then limit yourself to that.
• The Magical To-Do List. Always get to the grocery store without your list? Find that on any given morning, you remember 3 things that need to be finished by 5:00 that evening? Making a flexible To-Do List will help you prioritize and not overlook something important.