This week’s Wixii-ism: “How do you make the most of your 24 hours?” speaks to me. I am a self-proclaimed efficiency junkie. I like to use each minute of each day as efficiently as possible and the realities of life with kids, challenges all my best laid plans. In fact, just this Monday for the second time in three months, I found myself at the ER at Children’s Hospital Colorado with an injured son. People told me raising three boys would be an adventure, but this wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. And that is the rub…no matter how efficient we are, there are just 24 hours in each day and only so many days in each lifetime.
As an efficiency junkie, I utilize technology, to-do lists, carpools, multi-tasking (to a fault at times), the instant hot tap at my kitchen sink and scaling my resources (mostly by delegating to my husband and son, though sometimes that feels more like insanity than productivity!). I get a strong sense of satisfaction and value from accomplishing a tremendous amount in a small period of time. I feel anxious when only doing one thing and frustrated when small or mundane tasks take a lot of time. I answer emails and/or texts upon receipt, even if in the middle of something else. When watching Downton Abbey or Homeland or a movie with my boys or husband on the weekend, I check emails, sort snail mail, scour my to-do list to make sure I haven’t missed anything.
I find it stressful not to be one of the first to secure a spot on Signup Genius for school or sports activities and conferences as I want the spot that fits most efficiently in my day/week/month. I have come to learn my multi-tasking nature can make important people in my life anxious, including my husband and my work spouse, Cindy.
Daily, someone will cite a study to me about the benefits of doing one thing at a time. And I smile back, but truly long to tell them that doing one thing at a time is a luxury not afforded to mothers who mix work and life. Time is a finite resource, and we each need to prioritize how we want to spend it. I want to be as efficient as possible with all the mundane tasks so that I can prioritize the tasks that bring meaning and joy to my life, like travel with my family and growing Women in the Mix.
My personal mantra: Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good. I am utterly practical and at times I can also be exhaustingly optimistic, but a perfectionist I am not. I have learned over the years, if I want or need something done “perfect,” I should enlist the help or delegate to one of the patient people in my life.
The recommendations and shared efficiencies of The Wixii™ Project have helped me up my game. If you are an efficiency junkie like me, please share your best tips and tricks for making the most of your 24 hours. From one efficiency junkie to another, let’s maximize our time on this planet!
