Elaine ushered me into her office and closed the door. She began talking as soon as I sat down. "I used to be so organized. I had a clear desk, I returned phone calls and emails the same day, and I delivered projects on time. Last year at work I won all the top performance awards.

"But now I've been promoted and I feel like my life is out of control. I can't fall asleep at night because of all the unfinished tasks. I'm also in conflict over how to balance work and my personal life.

"I've been out every night this week and my house is a mess and the dishes are piled high on the kitchen counters. I haven't put away laundry in weeks so I'm ironing clean wrinkled blouses every morning before work. Where do I begin to get control?"

Achiever Burn Out

Elaine was suffering from 'calendar overload,' often a symptom of being a high achiever, an active volunteer, and a person struggling to keep home and work in harmony.

I did the same thing with Elaine that I do with many of my clients. I started with her calendar.

Say "No" When Things are Out of Control

"Elaine, my #1 Time principle is 'Say 'no' when things are out of control.' That's where you are now. You need to schedule time to catch up at home and get the basics like your kitchen and laundry back together. That will take you about four hours, but will immediately save 30 minutes each morning. Can you do that this evening?"

Elaine agreed but was doubtful. "But how will that help my work performance?"

"Personal order is a good basis for professional excellence. Try it and you'll see that it's true: When you work orderly, you think in an orderly way. . . all day. And that's a great way to live."

Next Step to Get Your Life in Order

Elaine agreed to do that and then examined her calendar. She counted the number of nights out per week. "Oh, my. For the past ten days I have been out every night, and I have six more to go. Do you think that's too much?"

Then she laughed before I could reply. "I get it. If I give my time away to other people, then I have no time left for myself. I want—no, I NEED—to take back time for myself and right now!
I'm going to call and postpone tonight's dinner with a girlfriend and catch up on my personal life."
                     
Marcia, has your personal life suffered because you are too busy at work or other activities? Life gets complicated when you run out of time for yourself. But if you know your calendar is the basis for control, you can find your way back to fix it any time you need to. And once you take the time to get your personal life in order at home, everything else starts to get easier.

Your calendar -- a single calendar -- should reflect a balanced and satisfying life for you. You can start that journey by consolidating your activities into one calendar.

You may find Planners at office supply stores like Office Depot, Staples, Office Max.

Or you may find them on-line at www.TayloronTime.com · www.Daytimer.com
www.DayRunner.com · www.FranklinCovey.com