I'm the type of person who goes around coaching people when I see an opportunity to. I probably over step sometimes. But I feel pretty good about sensing what the boundaries are and when to offer advice and tools, and when to nod along and stay out of the way.
This morning on the train a young woman I ride with often on Tuesday's and Thursday's when I have Ava along, was talking about her day to day. How it isn't working for her. How she has no time for lunch, and no time for exercise.
I've always found time for lunch and exercise. And even when that time has been taken away, I moved other things around to find the time.
I never thought I could fit exercise in to my early mornings, but in the past few months I figured out how and it works.
So with that knowledge, and her seemingly open attitude I jumped in.
The bottom line of my coaching was that you have to approach your daily life with the perspective that what you prioritize will make it. If you aren't finding time for what you need, it is because you aren't prioritizing it. As a favorite line in one of my favorite movies goes, "There's 24 usable hours in every day!"
Of course it isn't that simple. But it is a place to start.
She is prioritizing getting as much work done as possible. But that's not in line with her true needs. So I told her to prioritize getting lunch time, and leaving with enough time to exercise at the end of the day. "Try it for a few days," I suggested, "See how it goes!"
I reminded her something I learned from a corporate coach a long time ago.
You cannot get everything done every day.
How simple, and true.
Prioritize, adjust as needed, and hold your time sacred.
Her time is not her own, but I encouraged her to push back as needed. If they give you a new urgent task, let them know what you won't get to, don't just try and do it all.
You cannot get everything done every day.
Focus on what you can get done. Include in that time for yourself.
I thought for years that the only time I could work out was at lunch. But when faced with the need to change that coupled with how highly I prioritize exercise I shook up my daily and found a new time. It meant waking up earlier two days a week, and being more creative with drop off and pick up. We are making it work because it is important enough, because being in line with what I need is important enough.
Rhythm is important, a daily rhythm that is. But don't shy away from the flexibility you have to adjust, attune and change to make your day work for you.
As the summer winds down, and the school year picks back up, how will you refresh, shake up and make sure your daily is working for you?
What are you prioritizing? Is it inline with your true needs and desires?
If not...shake it up!
