Time management author: Say no to one thing to say yes to another

Judy Christie, a good friend and client, is the author of a really useful book titled Hurry Less, Worry Less: 10 Strategies for Living the Life You Long For. In it, she shares great ideas for getting a handle on your day, getting things done and not worrying about the stuff you don't get to right then. I had to take a page from her book this week when I realized my own week was spiraling out of control. With two speaking engagements and an awards ceremony at the start of the week, my time quickly became more pressed than usual as I tried to fit in normal activities, travel and speaking preparation. As if that were not enough, I was sick on Monday.

For a moment, I tried to figure out how I would fit everything in, sick or not. But I decided a better approach would be to take a few tips from Judy's Hurry Less, Worry Less. Judy says say no to one thing so you can say yes to something else. I had to say no to a few things, including a reception in my honor Monday because I was sick and insisting on going would not have helped anyone and could have compromised the rest of my week.

I took a few other things off the to-do list of the past couple of days, including speaking with you through this blog. All of the things I took off my to-do list -- the reception I had been looking forward to attending, blogging, starting on a new project -- helped make the rest of my week better. I was able to properly prepare for the speaking engagements, handle client requests in a timely manner and participate in some other exciting ventures. Oh, and it also allowed me to rest so I could feel better and perform at a top level.

What about you? When your schedule changes unexpectedly or if you find one task needs more attention than originally planned, what do you do? Do you stress about it and pressure yourself to fit it all in, even though doing so helps no one, or do you re-evaluate your priorities and to-do list to see what needs to change?

If you're like lots of people -- and sometimes even me, you struggle with managing your time and fitting "everything" in -- even if it kills you! Well, I'm here to tell you, that's not the best strategy. You may think it shows you're tough or task-oriented, but really, all it shows is that you end up doing too many things, but none of them very well.

I can tell you my week is going a lot better because I took Judy's advice to say no to one thing to say yes to another.

Grab Judy Christie's Hurry Less, Worry Less and find a few strategies to help you get a grip on your day so you get more of what you want done and enjoy your time doing it.