I just read a motivating post on time management written by Peter Bregman for the Harvard Business Review Blog.  Just like every other woman business owner that I know, TIME and the associated work/life balance is a constant struggle. There is never enough TIME! 

Long ago I gave up on all of the time management techniques that I had learned. It seemed something always took precedence over planning my time…an upset client, a sick pet, an urgent phone call etc.  “I’ll do this later” turned to “I’ll try again tomorrow” to “It works for other people but not me.  My schedule is too hectic.”

But the title “An 18 Minute Plan to Manage Your Day” reeled me right in to reading the post in search of more TIME!

The Nudge

Sometimes, reading something we already know but presented in a slightly different way; provides that much needed nudge to put the wheels in motion!  Bregman’s key points are things that we’ve heard before – make a list of what needs to be done, prioritize the list, start with the hardest thing first, plan your time hour by hour etc.  Nothing earth shattering about these steps.

But the twist he brings to the topic is what gave me the… nudge.  He describes the importance of creating a ritual that helps you keep your commitment to planning your time.  He cites Jack LaLanne’s ritual of daily exercise as an example. 

Each and every day LaLanne begins his day with a 2 hour work-out.  He has a goal to swim from the California coast to Catalina Island in celebration of his 95^th birthday!  So he has a daily ritual built into his schedule that helps him keep his commitment to achieving his goal.

The Secret to Success

Developing a ritual or plan of how you are going to manage your time each and every day is the first step to find the time to achieve your goals. But the commitment to follow that ritual, day in and day out is the real secret to success!

So today, I accepted the “nudge” and issued a 30 day challenge to myself to plan my time every day.  I’ve written out the process that I will use each and every morning.  This plan will help me to follow thru on my commitment to practice this daily ritual! (I’ll let you know about my progress in a future post.)

I’m a woman on a mission with a long list of things that I want to accomplish.  And hey if a commitment to a daily ritual will help Jack LaLanne swim 20 miles at age 95…my wheels are in motion!

How about you?