Finding time to reflect is an essential time management tool that can be most useful and important when it appears almost impossible to come by.

This fact was brought home to us at Finding Time, LLC very clearly over the past week when we lost our site and all of our infrastructure (including our mailing lists and auto responders)!  It was very challenging to step back, take a breath, and reflect when there was so much to do.  However, each time we did that, two things were clear:

• Our perspective widened and it felt like there was more room to make choices.

• With that feeling of more space came the ability to see options more clearly and begin to make proactive (rather than reactive) time choices.

This, in turn, led to further shifts of perspective until our crisis, while still very challenging, also took on some aspects of opportunity.  This made all the difference in the world!  The shift in perspective from reactive to proactive mode is a process that builds on itself.  Nothing looks like an opportunity when you are in reactive mode.

Here’s one of our recent articles on E-zine Articles.com that speaks to dealing with time crunches – and highlights the importance of reflection:  Time Management Tips – 5 Essential Steps to Reduce Stress During Time Crunches. Reflection after-the-fact is a key time management tool:

When you have a moment to catch up with yourself, review what happened that left you in a situation with too much to do in too little time. Ask yourself these 3 questions:

• Was procrastination involved?

• Were there unexpected changes in your day that threw a wrench in the works?

• What can you do to avoid a situation like this in the future?

In our case, one of the things that we learned, on reflection, was the importance of backing up everything!  Had we not done that regularly, what was a big inconvenience would have been, instead, a major disaster.  So back up, back up, back up!

Related Posts

• Finding Time for What Matters Most
• Finding Time Boundaries in Times of Stress and Times of Calm
• Effectively Utilize Outlook to Increase Productivity and Save Time with These 5 Simple Tips
• How Responding is Better Than Reacting
• Find Time by Honoring Yourself and Your Time

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 at 2:35 pm and is filed under Time Management, Vision/Goals/Plans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert, has 35 years of success helping individuals, small businesses, and solopreneurs align their time choices with their life goals and core values. Heart-based time management is her passion. Paula enjoys nothing more than working with people to recognize and help facilitate the small time choices that lead to large, life changes … because the way you use your time is the way you live your life!

If you're ready to stop feeling overwhelmed, sign up for Paula's FREE Finding Time Boundary Template at http://www.findingtime.net/ezine.html/. And for more time tips and techniques, visit Paula's Blog at http://thetimefinder.com.