Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 3rd



The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. - Stephen Covey

At the end of a very active political year, I am usually exhausted and almost go into a depression like state.  During these times, it is difficult to get off my couch and I watch way too much television.  When I arrived back from Europe at the end of 2014, I went back into my same “old habits” and started January 2015 the same way.  I was not happy with my habits, but did not know what to do.  I knew I was out of control when I saw on my DVR that I had over 45 episodes of one show.  Instead of reading and doing other things to accomplish my goals and purpose in life, I would come home after work, watch too much television and spend too much time on Facebook, etc.  

After I read the article “Think Like a Rough Rider: Productivity Hacks from Teddy Roosevelt”, I was challenged to a year of learning.  As the article showed, Roosevelt had a very scheduled live and included time for self-improvement.  Sometimes, he would read for 30 minutes other times 2 hours.  Throughout his life, he read over 10,000 books on various subjects in several languages.  This knowledge helped him accomplish all the amazing things listed in last week’s blog post. 

I made the decision to change and form a new habit.  How did I start this change?  First, I changed my DVR settings.  I now tape Dr. Oz because I enjoy learning about health (I am not endorsing him) and I narrowed my weekly television shows down to 2 that I really enjoy watching.  By making these changes, I have given myself back 2 hours a night to accomplish my life dreams and purpose.  Additionally, I changed my Facebook habits.  I stopped viewing it “every 5 minutes” and check Facebook twice a day.  Furthermore, I now schedule 2 hours on my calendar when I am at home in the evenings to focus on my “To-Do List”.  Once I complete it, I have gratification that I completed my tasks and am prepared for the next thing in my life. 

Each of us have important things to accomplish in our lives.  We have daily to-do list, our personal goals and purpose, spending time with family and friends, etc.  To accomplish the highest priorities in our lives, we have to make decisions to create good habits and eliminate bad habits.  Schedule time for self-improvement and your to-do list, etc.  Once you complete these things, you can go do other things you enjoy!

Lost time is never found again. - Benjamin Franklin


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