Time has an elastic quality to it. When you are engaged in what you are doing, it goes incredibly fast and when you are bored, it stretches on endlessly. While 24 hours is the same for everyone, it is the perception of time that is different. The ultimate intent of time management is to improve the quality and balance of your life—not just to speed it up. By striving for balance and harmony in all areas of your life, you can reduce your stress and alter your current perception of time.

     Understanding your personal and professional needs is the key to striking the balance between the two. Successful living isn’t a matter of success in the workplace OR at home. It is the product of their combination. Take some time to think about how you really want to spend your time. Are you spending it that way? If not, why not?

     The secret to balance all boils down to the choices you make. Everything you do requires a choice. There are the big choices: where to live, what career path to follow, who to share your life with, your faith, etc. Then there are the small choices: what time to wake up each morning; what to eat, what to wear, how to spend the day, how to respond to people and events. The small choices seem inconsequential. Some people would argue they aren’t really choices at all, but rather decisions dictated by life’s external pressures or requirements. But they are choices. You choose to get up at 6 a.m. to catch the 7:09 train to get to work despite the fact you’d rather sleep till noon because you know that the price you would have to pay to sleep till noon is too high to pay. If your goal truly is to sleep till noon each day, you would choose a different job and lifestyle to accommodate that goal. The seemingly small choices you make day in and day out ultimately determine the quality of your life. Such decisions reflect your character, your values, and your purpose.

     Many people feel their success and ultimately their happiness is impeded by their life circumstances. “If only I had more time, then I would… (fill in the blank). So many things in life seem beyond our control. Yet, the world really is the same for everyone. We each have 24 hours a day to spend. We all face life’s interruptions, inconveniences and hazards. It isn’t a question of if you will encounter these distractions; it is a question of how you will deal with them. Your level of stress and sense of balance depends on the choices you make NOT on your circumstances. If you aren’t getting what you want out of life, if you are overwhelmed, overlooked, undervalued or unfulfilled in your personal or profession life, it could be you are making bad choices.

     The goal is to identify 30 or 40 minutes each day – that is 3.5 hours per week!—to spend more productively. “More productively” does not mean “do more.” Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is nothing to give your battery a chance to recharge. Trying to squeeze more in to each day leads you to do less of it well and makes it all less enjoyable. Your goal is to remove energy drains and replace them with pleasurable activities to increase energy and expand your perception of time. It may feel counterintuitive, but hurrying is the enemy of time management. Slow down and you will become more effective and fulfilled. And just think what you could do with 22 extra “eight hour days” per year!

     Implement these seven strategies to manage your time more effectively.

1. Get Organized!• Establish structures for routine activities to create order. That will reduce your stress because you won’t waste time rethinking activities over and over and over again.

• Put things where you need them. Think in terms of traffic flow. For example, your phone and rolodex should be next to each other and close to your computer. Active files should be within arms reach while dormant projects can be filed further away.

• Use “To Do” Lists and calendars. Knowing everything that needs to be done enables you to prioritize and maximize effectiveness.

2. Eliminate energy drains• Jot down 30-50 activities that drain your energy. Divide them into categories (work/home/friends/family). Review your list and determine, what can be minimized or eliminated.

3. Just do it• Adopt a “DO IT NOW” mentality. Most stress comes from that nagging sensation that we forgot to do something or from looking for lost items. By handling matters as they arise (add them to your To Do List immediately) you can eliminate such stress and use your time more productively.

4. Manage Information• Determine what to keep. Recognize there is a difference between “data” and “information.” Data is the entire universe of facts and statistics on a given topic while information is data that has value to you. It is important to cull through the data and only retain the necessary information. Also, decide on a filing system that plays to your logic track to avoid wasting time looking for needed information.

5. Delegate• The purpose of delegating is to enable you to dispose of simpler tasks to free you up to perform tasks which are of greater value. Invest the time at the beginning of the project to think it through from beginning to end. This will enable you toclearly define the goals and objectives, assign the tasks and assess the progress to ensure you get the end result you want, which will ultimately save time. Consider delegating at work and at home.

6. Communicate• Always operate under the principal that you can never be too clear. Say what you mean clearly and ask questions to confirm your listener’s understanding. Effective communicators follow the 80-20 rule: they listen 80% of the time and speak 20% of the time. By allowing others to speak first, you can unearth valuable information, frame your comments accordingly and save time by avoiding miscommunications.

7. Honor Your Leisure Time

• In order to be productive, everyone needs time to recharge their batteries. Schedule at least 30 minutes each day to do something “indulgent” for yourself. Take a bath, go for walk, hit the gym, read a magazine, watch TV. Without downtime, you will eventually burn out and be of no use at work or at home!

There is no magic pill to achieve life/work balance. There will always be factors beyond your control that demand your time and attention. Yet with a keen understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses, wants and needs, as well as careful planning, you can minimize the amount of time spend in “reactive” mode and reduce the amount of stress in your personal and professional life.