by Katelyn Vercoe

Created on: April 30, 2008   Last Updated: December 01, 2008

Life is busy. Despite the myriad of time and labor saving devices at our disposal, and despite the number of services available around the clock, most of us are hurtling through life at a pace that would bewilder our grandparents. Although this lifestyle may be relentless, we need not accept exhaustion and constant striving as inevitable consequences of existing in the 21st century. Our attitudes, expectations and efficiency levels determine whether we barely survive a frenetic, harried journey through life or, instead, soar above the madding crowd, reveling in the excitement of the opportunities available to us.

ATTITUDE

Rather than resisting the pressures of a busy lifestyle, accept them. Remain positive about your life, grateful for the many opportunities and experiences encountered. A mountainous list of tasks, attacked with zeal and enthusiasm is scaled far more readily than if approached with reluctance, dread and trepidation.

Know yourself and be true to yourself. Be aware of your physical and emotional capabilities and protect your well being by limiting the number of commitments you make. Consider carefully where you invest your time and effort and learn when to say no to certain activities, or perhaps delay committing to activities you are uncertain of. Try not to agree to do things solely on the basis of your feelings of guilt, or the desire to satisfy others (to your detriment).

EXPECTATIONS

Acknowledge your humanity! Don't expect to complete every task perfectly. Indeed, allow yourself the occasional luxury of leaving some tasks incomplete. However, if you find yourself never able to carry tasks through to completion, it may well be time to re-evaluate the number of tasks you begin. There are only so many hours in a day. Have a realistic expectation of what can be achieved. Don't schedule every moment (twice).

Be satisfied with less. Constant craving for bigger and better homes, vehicles and holidays (to list a few commonly coveted items) places you on a treadmill to work and earn and work and earn....the destination is rarely achieved.

Have fair expectations of others in your life. Allow your children to have some days free from extra curricula activities. Be comfortable permitting opportunities for boredom. Some experts are actually recommending boredom as an essential learning experience.

EFFICIENCY LEVELS

Plan your time carefully. Plan your route throughout the week, to avoid backtracking and double handling.

Prepare in advance. Don't procrastinate. A few minutes of ironing before bedtime can prevent a mad rush in the morning.

Be organized. Streamline your home environment to make household chores easier. Keep a daily planner up to date and easily accessible so that all members of the household are aware of the daily routine.

Delegate tasks, be it at home, in a workplace or in a volunteering situation. Protect yourself from over work and train others in responsibility.

Plan and protect times of relaxation and relationship maintenance. Guard your precious, crucial moments of solitude and value occasions of social interaction with family and friends. Eat well, exercise well and sleep well.

Healthy in body, mind, spirit and strengthened by happy fulfilling relationships you will find yourself leading a life that is not only balanced but achieving your goals and bringing inspiration and joy to those around you.

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