Robyn Pearce: Working hard isn't the answer

Before work, first block out time for loved ones and the activities that re-vitalise you. Photo / Thinkstock

A couple of weeks ago I sent out some emails about goalsetting to my Top Time Tips mailing list. Mike Cotton, a retired clergyman from Katikati, one of my regular readers and now a friend, sent me this little note.

'When I was the vicar in Opotiki, Vestry asked me to do a breakdown of my time spent on church duties. I did it over a month, breaking it down into 15 minute sections. I found I was doing about 75 hour weeks. This amazed me and them!!

'However, when I showed the breakdown to my spiritual director (whom I saw every month and who kept an eye on me!) he asked "What time do you have with Lynne? I can't see her or home mentioned in this?"

'It was then I realised I was so busy looking after other people and church business that I was in fact neglecting my wife! The answer was reasonably simple but sometimes hard to keep to - each day diary time for Lynne!

'So writing down goals is positive and not just some New Year's resolution we make in our minds and forget to keep. Just imagine if you were to write what you want to do in your computer diary and have it remind you of that fact every day!'

What really matters to you?

Mike has hit the nail on the head. The first step to effective prioritising is to have clarity about what's important to us. The second step is to do something about those priorities. Otherwise we're likely to just keep filling up our hours with 'stuff'. Use whatever diary you prefer (it doesn't matter whether it's electronic or paper) every week to schedule the things and people who are important to you.

There's never a shortage of tasks to do and never enough hours in the day to do them all - and I'm no exception. I've learnt over the years that I must first block out time for my loved ones and the activities that re-vitalise me. This is not a small task. I'm very actively involved with my 17 grandchildren plus 2 extras - the daughters of my niece; my oldest grandson of 18 years is living with me this year while his parents are on an overseas posting; I spend as much time as possible with the parents of said 19 children; and I also spend a lot of time with my very active 91 year old aunt.

Then there are all the other activities - competitive sailing with the Classic Yacht Association on 'Waitangi', learning French, cycling, and a bunch of great friends, movies, books to read ... I'm sure you get the picture! All of that is before I do any work - and work is busy and fulfilling.

The only way I know to manage this is to first block out the time for the activities and people that will recharge you. I go ahead sometimes as far as a year in order to do this. It's amazing how everything else will fit in and around your priorities.

It might be that you sometimes have to catch up in the evenings or weekends on something you dropped so you could focus on your personal priorities. Is this bad? No, for you've invested your prime time in the places of prime importance. The 'must do' tasks somehow always get done. However, if you'd done it in the other order, the family or special events would never have happened.

I'm with the many who have found that when we make decisions from a top-down values position, we actually do better work. Is it because we're refreshed, restored and re-energised? I believe so.

Robyn Pearce (known as the Time Queen) is the MD of GettingAGrip.com, an international time management and productivity training company based in New Zealand. Get your free report 'How To Master Time In Only 90 Seconds' and ongoing time tips at www.gettingagrip.com