June Disappeared, Hopes for July!
This is what I WISH the month of June looked like! With me — right smack in the middle of that warm sand getting ready to wade into some clear aquamarine water! In reality, June in Seattle was about as far removed from this beach as it gets! (When I posted the question on Facebook recently — where did June go? I got some pretty entertaining answers, from it headed to Vegas, it headed east to Spokane, to ‘Did we have June?’) But the month was also a whirlwind of activity that left me wishing for more hours in the day.
About this time, we added a new class to our offerings at GGA (GoGirl Academy) designed by founder Suzanne Keel-Eckmann that I helped teach. It’s title? Time and Priority Management! What perfect timing. It’s all about goal-setting — think of your life goals — things you dream of that you want to accomplish in your life (like cruising down the coast of Mexico by boat), one year goals — such as a new skill or class, or even a new job, and even six-month or short term goals. Then, make a chart of how you spend your time in a week (kind of like a ‘time’ budget) to see where your time actually goes. It you want to be absolutely accurate, keep a diary. Look at the things you love doing that are necessary, and prioritize the things you need to get done that only you can do. When it comes to the things you do that you don’t like doing, or that don’t have to be done by you — delegate! These are often the lower value items on your list (that don’t need to be done absolutely perfectly). Someone else can do them — maybe a junior staffer or an intern. Most of all, it helps you come up with a plan to work smarter, not harder. This class showed our students (and me) how to find those extra hours, and make the best use of them.
As we begin a new month with July — my goal is to use my time more efficiently. Do the things that only I can do, and delegate more small items that take up time I don’t have. I think I’ll find my July will be much less hectic and stressful than June! Here’s to a happy July!
Margo Myers, Principal, Margo Myers Communications
