I can’t do everything and nor can you. We need to prioritise our personal and business goals.
I’ve recently written a blog post – ‘Half way through the year – Time for reflection’ and asked you to look back on what you have achieved over the past 6 months and also to identify the key tasks you want to focus on over the next 6 months. I wanted you to look at business, personal, health and relationship goals.
How have you got on?
You may have identified so many potential tasks and projects that you are unlikely to complete all (and may then think of yourself as failing- I’m good at doing that!) or just carry on mooching along, if you do that will you get things completed, or will you find yourself in a few months’ time feeling frustrated?
And breathe ….
I’ve got far too many things I want to do and I’m getting a bit overwhelmed by my goals and my ever increasing ‘to do’ list. This includes research for a longitudinal project and another job search book.
We are at different stages of our lives and for each of us we need to prioritise
With my health problems earlier this year I’m prioritising maintaining health and regaining fitness. I’m also making sure I meditate … I always used to so why did I stop? (Because I decided other things were more important).
Underlying goal
I tend to write lots of to do lists, I’m always finding interesting things to share and have so many documents called to do list on my PC.
My business priority is to get better organised and to delete more files, I want to make use of what I already have rather than to start ever more new tasks.
But that’s me and probably something to do with being 50+.
I was very different in my 20s and 30s.
It’s also important that I get enough time to relax
I always work about ½ a day on a Saturday and take time out in the week. From 5pm tonight until Monday morning I stop checking emails and spend more time reading and time with family and friends. I don’t want to be continually plugged in.
It’s not always our fault
Stuff happens that is outside our control and we can’t anticipate everything. I’m learning to stop taking responsibility and blame for these events. This was ready to be uploaded yesterday and then technical problems got in the way. I now seem more sanguine and it’s fine to upload at 1pm on Saturday.
KIVA
Have you heard of Kiva – it’s a site where you can give micro loans to people from the developing world, sometimes there is matched funding so my $25 donation to Buthaina in Iraq was increased to $50. Buthaina, is a 47-years-old widowed mother of one with twenty years experience in sewing clothes for women and children. Her loan of $2,500 was to buy an air-conditioner, a sewing machine, and an iron to be able to work during the torturing unbearable summer hot temperatures and increase her production/sales and income. She is aiming to expand her business and open a small sewing factory to increase the number of jobs and help more jobless women. Just checked today and she has all the money she needs.
Today I’ve also made a loan to Hassan’s Group in Iraq who needed the money to buy goods and renovate the premises, this is now fully funded. My third loan is to Sobia in Pakistan who wants to set up a beauty salon and help women feel good about themselves. I just checked and she is still only at 47% of the target requested. Whilst some may think this is more trivial, most of us know that when we look good we feel good and I think it’s a worthy project. Perhaps you would like to loan her, or one of the others $25 or more?
This isn’t a donation, it’s a loan and as the money is repaid I use it to loan money to others, but also on a regular basis I will make more loans such as these.If this interests you read more here
http://www.kiva.org/invitedby/denise5346
Till next time
Denise x
Brought to you by Denise Taylor, career coach and chartered psychologist with Amazing People. Denise is regularly featured as an expert in the press and is the author of 7 books including ‘How To Get A Job In A Recession’
