Life is short: DO Something!

I'm subtitling this "An argument for productivity." It pays to be organized and motivated. Why? Because life is short and we should make the most of it. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have down time, but it should be conscious down time--time that you've specifically set aside for relaxation. Not just time where you happen to have nothing to do, or are slacking on other tasks, or are bored.

As if you could kill time without injuring eternity. - Henry Thoreau

I think the problem most people have is being realistic.

1. They are unrealistic about how much time they actually have in a day. No matter what you do or where you are, a minute is still 60 seconds. A day is still 24 hours. So don't try to cram more than is reasonable into finite limits. (Yes, this requires a little bit of forethought, planning, and even saying "No.")
   
   
2. They are also unrealistic about their priorities. Most people think they know where their priorities lie. Mostly they just know what they believe their priorities should be, not what they really are.

I urge anyone who feels out of control or unfulfilled to try this: Track your week.

Each day, make a list of the 3 most important things you want to (or need to) accomplish that day. After a week, go back and see what those things are (and note whether you accomplished them).

If you actually did your top 3 things, those are your priorities. If you didn't do them, but did something else instead, then your priorities aren't what you thought they were. Even if you did the top 3 things, you might find that the things topping your list (your actual priorities) are different than you expected.

Thanks to SimpleMom for her Daily Docket, which helped me identify my own needs (and also clear out some brain clutter).