Getting It All Done
With all the different categories of life—being health, fitness, spiritual, relationships, social, financial, professional, and growth—how can you possibly get it all done? It just seems impossible to rate yourself a 10 in every single category. Some areas we may put more emphasis on, while others end up suffering because we don’t prioritize them. How are we expected to be fully alive, well, and healthy if we are just trying to make a living and survive most of the time? I can empathize with that feeling. Society has been built up in a certain way that we seem to accept the current circumstances as just the nature of how things work in the world. But God’s kingdom is not that way—there are better ways of doing things, more aligned to how God works, which is in order, in rhythmic patterns, and in harmony.
The following are a few methods we can implement to reframe our minds and re-strategize how we use our time:
Assign Time for Deep Work
When we go to the theater, a concert, or a show, most people sit for 2-3 hours or more, fully engaged with the movie or program. We may be eating snacks or drinking while watching, but our focus is on one thing. We’re not on our phones texting, on social media, reading emails, or doing additional tasks besides paying attention to what is in front of us. As Catholics, we assign a specific time to go to Mass on Sundays or during the week, and we have to prepare for it so that we can arrive on time and be present for the duration.
We must treat everything else we do the same, especially when it requires full focus, time, and attention. What would it take for you to be fully focused? The talent theme of Focus isn’t one of my top strengths in my CliftonStrengths results. It doesn’t mean I am unable to focus at all; it just means that it takes more effort for me to do so. Someone with Focus as a strength can set a direction, prioritize, take action, and stay on track. What an amazing ability! So, if this is your strength, what a gift! For those like me, where focus takes a little more effort, there is still hope! First, we need to make time in our schedules for deep work. Deep work is intentional time spent concentrating on a challenging task for a long duration without distraction. With all the responsibilities and commitments we have during the week, including the goals we hope to achieve—whether it’s improving a life category or building a business—it is important to be intentional by setting boundaries and blocking out hours in the day to move toward your vision of a fulfilling and fruitful life.
Batch Your To-Do List
Bring order to your task list by placing all urgent and important items first while also batching tasks in an efficient way. In my years working in the corporate space, I learned how manufacturing environments are arranged to harmonize the assembly line workflow, equipment, and technicians building the products. Since we are working with both people and machinery, we must consider the possibility of human error. To reduce that, we have to create order and find a flow that makes sense so workers can produce more efficiently without rework or scrapping products. This ultimately saves time and money on the front end by establishing a solid workflow. Why not find ways to apply this same strategy to our goals, commitments, and responsibilities? How can we organize our home and workspaces to save time and energy? How can we arrange our schedules and batch tasks and appointments more harmoniously?
Setup Your Space
Think about your senses and the environments that either distract you or help you focus. Is cleanliness important? Do you prefer a simplified space, music, or silence? Pay attention to what helps you enter your flow state and creates a distraction-free environment. Understand your weaknesses and tendencies so you can adjust according to your natural working style. God made us unique and for a great purpose. We simply need to understand the design for which we were created in order to accomplish the mission God has for us and the goals we set for ourselves.
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
There is never any harm in asking for help, especially if you know someone who can perform a task more naturally, with less effort, and enjoys it. St. Thomas Aquinas excelled at this; it is said he could produce thousands of words a day with the help of his scribes. He maximized the talents God gave him and leveraged the abilities of others. Figure out who can accomplish tasks more effectively or what can be automated so that you can focus more on the things you enjoy and do efficiently. We are most productive when we operate in accordance with God’s design for us. So, don’t be afraid to ask for support from your team, whether it’s your spouse, children, or coworkers.
Build Your Strategy
The following are a few practical ways you can strategize how to use your time effectively and get work done:
Tip #1: Always bring your plans to prayer. Allow God to guide you in being more intentional with how you use the time He has given you, grant you wisdom to act in conformity with His will, and provide you with motivation to take action toward the end goal.
Tip #2: Make your schedule visible! Whether you use a physical planner or an electronic one, ensure that you can see your designated deep focus hours so that you can follow through.
Tip #3: Set app and screen time limit features on your phone, or use a Pomodoro-type app to set boundaries for yourself and give full focus to the task. The Pomodoro method is a time management strategy involving 25-minute intervals of focused work and 5-minute rest periods in between.
Tip #4: If your tasks require using computers and your device allows multiple screens, designate projects to separate desktops or windows so you only focus on one assignment at a time and limit task switching.
Tip #5: Hire a coach to help you stay accountable and develop greater self-awareness to accomplish tasks aligned with the way God made you.
My former boss once told me that things could always be done better, and I have found this to be true. There are many strategies to make work less burdensome for ourselves and to utilize God’s gifts and technology for the greater good. Remember that God has given you exactly what you need and the right amount of time to accomplish what is necessary. The most important thing is to take care of what God assigns to you and to prioritize your time and energy accordingly, then surrender the rest to Him.
question to ponder
What actions can you take to create more focused time in your schedule?
Coaching Testimonial:
“Roxsan is definitely a beautiful soul to walk with on my own journey to personal discovery and wholeness. Over the past several months, she has helped me identify areas in my life that require stretching, while gently challenging me to reflect on the barriers to growth and healing. Roxsan’s approach is inspiring me to communicate not only with myself but also with my family as we navigate through life together, making tough decisions and moving towards a healthier mindset and lifestyle. I’m so grateful for her work, and I know so many others will benefit because of her commitment to honor each person’s identity as a child of God.”
