Who thinks they lead busy lives? Who feels overwhelmed by
the demands on their time? I would say most of you said
"me". The sensational advances in technology make
communication and everything else in our lives, so much
more efficient. The problem is, we think we have to do
absolutely EVERYTHING and it all has to be done TODAY! The
fact is, it doesn't.

Remember the good old days when we only had snail mail? Now
I'm showing my age. You received a letter by post and in
due course, you answered it. Even if you received several a
day, this task was do-able. Nowadays with email, we are
swamped with bundles of e-books, e-courses, newsletters,
personal and business letters, jokes, cartoons, uplifting
stories & photos and so on. The input into our lives is
astronomical. Because we still hold onto the notion of
reading or at least glancing over everything, and
responding to everything as soon as possible, it all takes
on an urgency that is unreasonable. The telephone is the
same. If it rings, I HAVE to answer it, NOW! No you don't.
Turn it off when you need a break and let the answer-phone
do it for you - that's its job. Make sure your message is
recorded when you are feeling up-beat, not exhausted and
fed-up as it will show in your tone of voice. Even in a
school or nursery centre you can put the answer-phone on
when appropriate for whatever reason, including taking a
five-minute sanity break. You will deal with the call much
more effectively when you call back because you'll be in a
better frame of mind.

My husband took the day off work last week to attend to
private business. As I mostly work from home I organize my
day to suit myself, so I chose to go to the gym first thing
in the morning. I told him I was stopping at the
café for breakfast after my workout and suggested he
join me. He grunted at me that he'd already had breakfast.
When I suggested he join me for coffee and a muffin he
grumbled that he didn't have time to have a break. Does
this sound like you too? In a bad mood, not valuing
yourself enough to even stop for half an hour to have a
coffee? I told him that if I waited until I had done
everything on my "to do" list before I went out the door,
had a meal or went to bed, I'd never leave the house, never
eat and never sleep. Instead I recognize that my "to do"
list is always unachievable, that is, for any one human
being to possibly achieve in any given day, so I take that
monkey off my back. I prioritise. If I can achieve the most
important or urgent thing on the list, or maybe two or
three things, then that's a huge win for the day. It's an
interesting phenomenon that somehow all the things that
have to get done, actually get done. Have you noticed that?
And the things that really aren't that important, or aren't
important enough that you HAVE to do them TODAY, either
don't get done because they weren't that important after
all, or they get done when the time is right. To put
ourselves under such absurd pressure that we give ourselves
nervous breakdowns and other severe health problems as a
result, is just ridiculous.

Make time for the gym or your favorite physical activity,
for partners and family, for your friends and colleagues,
your hobbies and interests, your social life, and you'll
find yourself so much more productive when you are at work
because you have valued you. You are not just a cog in a
wheel or a number on a paysheet; you are a vital member of
a team. As such, you are no good to God nor man if you are
exhausted or playing the role of the martyr. You just
become resentful. No-one expects you to go above and beyond
the call of duty so stop putting that pressure on yourself.
It doesn't make you a better person. I'm not suggesting you
don't give 100% at work and in all that you do. Quite the
contrary. What I am suggesting is that you don't neglect
yourself in the process. Oscar Wilde said "All things in
moderation, including moderation." He was right. There are
times when you need to pull out all the stops to get a
project completed and there are times when it's appropriate
to do absolutely nothing. For the rest of the time, think
balance.

When I finished my workout last week and went to the
café for breakfast (my occasional treat), my husband
was there enjoying a coffee and reading the paper. His mood
was much more relaxed and positive. He'd ridden his bike
over to the café so he'd got some bonus exercise,
had got to read the paper and have a break, and had had the
opportunity to spend some quality time with me which
wouldn't have happened had we stayed at home. At home you
notice all the "stuff" that has to be done so there's no
time to talk about bigger picture issues. What's more
important, the "stuff" or you? The "stuff" will always be
there. You won't.

Take time out, get some balance in your life and review
your values. Top of the list should be you. Value yourself
and you'll find everything gets done that needs to be done
- maybe not by you - learn to delegate. You'll be much
happier which, in turn, will make everyone around you
happier, more productive and more co-operative.

About the Author:

Marlene Rattigan is an early childhood and ESL teacher,
author and speaker.She has published music and movement
manuals for teachers and regularly writes for magazines and
her own free e-zine. Find out more at
http://www.kidzfizbiz.com.