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Organize to Make Life Easier

Sue McMillin

Organizing Consultant & Speaker

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sue@withtimetospare.com

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You are here: Home / Life Lessons / Can You Really Manage Time? Part II

January 22, 2013 by Sue McMillin

Can You Really Manage Time? Part II

Maybe, just like me, you have attended a time-management class.

As a professional organizer since 1982, I have attended about 20 such classes, and they pretty much all say the same thing. They deal with priorities, planning, organizing your projects, knowing your purpose, having a vision, and procrastination, just to mention a few.

Last week I posted the first article in this series, Can You really Manage Time. I explained how you can’t buy it, sell it, store it, multiply or change it. You can only spend it. We never seem to have enough time, yet we have all the time there is. Simply, no one can genuinely manage time. But if it’s true that no one can really manage time, then how am I supposed to improve myself in this area of my life?

The answer is, and always will be, character.

Abraham Lincoln offers some timely insight: “Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow.  The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”

In trying to manage time, we focus way too much on the shadow and not enough on the tree. How we mismanage our time — always being late for a meeting or rarely completing a task on time — is the shadow cast by the tree. Using a calendar system can help manage your schedule, but doing so will not get to the root of the issue. To get to the root we must ask ourselves why do I have a problem of being late or not getting a task done?

Genuine, lasting solutions come from cultivating the tree of our character. Focusing on values such as excellence, self-control, and perseverance will strengthen our roots, especially in the area of how we spend our time.

~

Can you really manage time?

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Part I  –  Part III

Filed Under: Life Lessons, Quick Reads

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Sue’s Story

I've been a professional organizer most of my adult life. Who I am and why I love my work comes from how I was raised and the mysteries of DNA!

From the most humble of beginnings in Kentucky to helping businesses and organizations across the U.S., I always try my best to share both practical and inspirational principles and techniques.

I hope you enjoy your visit here and come back often. And feel free to call or email anytime.

Even though you might reach me on my porch looking out at the Colorado Rockies, a born and bred Kentucky girl enjoys a good chat.

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