I have a co-worker who is frazzled all.the.time. The last two or three weeks have been extra crazy at the office with the usual back to school crunch, so we have spent an unusual amount of time with this co-worker.
Like I said, she is always frazzled, always late, always losing something, always stressed, always forgetting something. And it's contagious. I find myself coming home from a day working next to her and I just want to take an extra deep breath in hopes that she'll catch that calming energy.
Anyway, this has lead me to reflect on how I've become a recovered frazzleaholic.
Back in high school I was a time Nazi if you will. I was always 5-10 minutes early. I was impatiently waiting if you were 2 minutes late to meet me. I would stew in anger if you didn't call at the exact time you said you would. My watch was my best friend.
This all changed when one summer in college, a co-worker noticed how uptight I was about "time" and therefore challenged me to go without a watch for a week. So I did. And I haven't gone back.
Well, except that week before my car accident in July. Which, ironically enough was caused by me racing the clock. So yeah, no more watch for me. And that's my final answer.
Besides the "no watch challenge" and the "car accident = death of watch" incidents, my old boss gave me a book to read as I was starting work in ministry called, Boundaries: When to Say YES, When to Say NO, To Take Control of Your Life. It had and continues to have a huge impact on the way I manage my time. The basic principle of the book is to learn to prioritize your "yeses" by saying "no" sometimes. Thus, creating boundaries in ones life so you aren't FRAZZLED like my co-worker (aaah deep breath).
When one has their priorities in check, when one is comfortable and confident in saying "no", when one is organized, and when LOVE is part of the equation - one can actually get more done, and done well!
Many people have asked me how I can plan juggle hobbies, family, social life, two jobs and plan a wedding....all I can say is, "Boundaries". I've had to say no to things that I want to do. I've had to schedule time (silly, I know) for my fiance. I've had to set a limit on time spent on wedding details, and I've had to tell myself that I will walk out of the office at a certain time each day. I can only do so much each day, and if it doesn't get done, it doesn't get done. Oh well!
It's taken a good three years for me to really work on establishing boundaries at work and in my relationships, but it has been SO worth it. I've had to be bold & confrontational (eek!) but the pay off has been rewarding. I know that marriage is going to come with a whole new set of boundaries - especially with our families and in-laws, but I am ready for the challenge.
As Dave Ramsey says about money, "YOU control the money so the money doesn't control YOU", I must say the same thing about time, "YOU control your TIME so your time doesn't control you!" Time and money are not so different in that you have to budget them wisely or else you'll go broke!
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