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Can We Ever Really Be On Top Of Things? by Sarah Cooper

Making better use of their time is a goal many of my clients share with me. So we come up with useful strategies, and usually see some progress. But just how much can we - or should we - really expect of ourselves?

I empathise with my clients' struggles. I rarely get to the end of a day feeling like I've achieved everything I wanted to. I've tried all sorts of time management systems and techniques. I'm a big fan of Franklin Covey (see www.franklincovey.com) for example. The main thrust of Covey's argument is that we spend too much time firefighting "urgent" matters at the expense of working on non urgent but important issues, which if tackled proactively would save us time and effort in the long run.

He's quite right. The fault isn't with the philosophy, but with my own discipline - or lack thereof. But here's the thing. On the one hand I recognise the importance of working on your self discipline so that you can manage your time effectively. Time is our most precious resource etc etc. I know it, I strive to practise it and I encourage my clients to do the same.

But on the other hand, a part of me rebels. I don't actually WANT to be the person with the perfectly organised filofax (or whatever technological wizadry has since replaced this). I don't WANT to know, as the Covey website kindly informs me, that we're on week 37, the 263rd Day, with 103 Days left.

I just don't want to have my life under that degree of control. It doesn't seem very human somehow. And I don't think it's that conducive to developing an interesting mind. It's when poor planning has left me woefully short of time that I've dredged up some of my most creative ideas.

Sometimes I fear that to make an impact, to make a real difference, requires the sort of scarily efficient time management espoused in the ever growing number of books and resources out there. But then I reason, Gandhi was not equipped with a copy of the Franklin Covey weekly planner and he did ok. Better to find or create work based on your passion. You will get things done one way or another, because you want to, even if those tasks aren't ticked off neatly within an alloted timeframe.

So, my not-too-perfect work habits now justified, I leave you with these thoughts. I know how much we can beat ourselves up for wasting time and falling short of our goals. I say - keep working on it, but treat yourself kindly. Be open to the small pleasures and unexpected ideas that come to you in the unplanned hours.

Sarah Cooper is a career coach who specialises in working with people who want to follow their passions, express their creativity or help people or society in some way. Sarah worked as a solicitor, then as a marketing manager in the voluntary sector before defining her own ideal work. Kick start your new life by signing up to Sarah's FREE mini e-course 5 Keys to Finding Freedom By Doing What You Love at http://www.cowsfrommywindow.com

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