I’ve definitely been on the roller coaster the past week. I am being tested in practicing everything that I teach.
One thing in particular is managing it all: work, packing, find a place to live, self-care, social time, exercise, and walking the dog.
I have had moments of complete breakdown, especially when I think about all the things that need to be accomplished before I head out to Vipassana Meditation.
It comes down to one word: TEAMWORK
Watch the video to learn some of my time management tools I’ve used to help me get through this challenging time:
I really want more suggestions so please leave a comment below 
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Time management is tricky for me, especially when I have a lot of creative projects I am working on. I cannot force my writing. I cannot force developing my programs. And thus I have to keep stirring the cauldron, doing what I can to nourish myself, especially in movement and art… which seems to help coalesce the more left brain forms! And they have their own timing. Not sure how to map that out on a schedule! haha!
Glad to see you with puppy love this week! Thank you for continuing to SHOW UP through all that you are going through. This models a lot to me personally. Don’t go hide in your pain, include your tribe and stay present. This allows me to even begin to entertain letting go of things which feel like they would throw me into too much chaos. Thank you for your wise woman way! xo
Tanya,
I started to use tungle.me to make my appointments and it has been working great. It sounds similar to what you are using. I try not to focus on anything until I need to. I will look at my schedule and prepare for the next thing, then when that is over I move on to the next thing. That way I don’t spread myself too thin. I can concentrate all of my focus into one thing at a time.
Great to see you doing so well through all these transitions. Thanks for the tips and glad to hear you are fitting in self-care – it is so important at this point.
I could totally get where you are coming from since I’m now newly single mom of 3 boys and regularly have many “car accidents” as I call them with my ex. Sometimes they are just fender benders and sometimes they are head-on collisions but the one thing it has taught me is that life can’t stop because of them and you have to push through with support and help from others. Thanks for the great post!
Hey Tanya,
And so on.
I have learned that the most important thing in time management is purpose! Know WHY something is important to be done NOW. Purpose gives you focus. As long as we don’t see the purpose of something, we won’t do it.
Best time management system I know: Take a stack of post-its and write on the top one: The most important thing I have to do today is …. Then go do that thing first thing in the morning. After it’s done, throw that post-it away and write on the next one: The most important thing I have to do today is …. And then go do that one
There’s always only one important thing you can do right now!
Tanya, you’re looking and sounding great. What great suggestions and invitatations to share our time management strategies. Since I hit my own mid-life passage, I have noticed an aversion to “time management” per se. I have the sense that I am craving a more feminine way of maneuvering through my life. For me that has been showing up by writing down all of my ideas but not necessarily in a “to-do” list format which is my masculine energy. Instead, I keep track of them so they are not taking my mental space (as Loralee points out), and I choose the big things that need to get done each week in a more organic way. I follow my energy, which is similar to what Anja suggests when she talks about “purpose’. I can relate to Kathleen’s comment because I find I am drawn to writing more and more and I cannot force it by scheduling it. I leave blocks of time open and then see where my energy takes me. I know it may sound a little irresponsible, but miraculously, I get the important things done without a lot of efforting. Thanks for the tips and I have enjoyed reading everyone else’s too. Wishing you much grace and ease as you complete everything you need to before your restorative vipassna retreat! xoxo
Tanya, thank you so much!
Here’s my petite time management tip for meeting deadlines under stressful circumstances, especially for those who either work from home or have privacy at work.
The short version: before engaging in a “task”, do pranayama (yogic breathing) followed by meditation.
As you know, there are tons of meditations out there – guided, unguided, focus on your ajna center, focus on your breath, visualize light in your body, shaktipat meditation, zen meditation – right? Pick what you know, but give yourself the best possible shot at centering and grounding through meditation by FIRST doing pranayama, which is usually a form of controlled breathing. I learned a fabulous pranayama technique from the Art of Living center called the Sudarshan Kriya.
The breath controls and cools the mind, which needs cooling down for meditation – the purpose of doing these 2 practices before engaging in a task is to start accessing the Self first before taking action. The reason for that is to engage a yogic principle of “non-doership” – it’s similar to feeling in the “zone” and then the tasks sort of do themselves.
It’s a way of switching the burden from “I” have to do x, y & z to the Higher Self within ourselves taking care of business – it feels much lighter and easier when you can make that shift.
I hope this is of service to everyone.
I need a VA….like yesterday. So I am there with you on that one. Thanks for the site suggestion.
Time Trade does rock….I also recommend using Google calendar to sync with your TT calendar.
Packing sucks….so yes, using friends and family totally rocks. I like the idea of having peeps help you get rid of stuff….it is easier to have someone else’s eyes on the things you are wavering on.
My time-saving tip for you is to have someone clean your house (once you move)….let someone else shine in their job while you free up yours!!
Thanks again!
xo,
Tina
I’m using Teamly.com to organize tasks each day. It has been really good tool for me. I only put 3 important things for a day to focus on them only and leave all the rest to the next day, week or month. Thanks for the suggestion of timetrade.com
You look beautiful! Love the tools you shared. One that I will add is… Letting go of completing your to-do list and trusting what you complete is what needed to get done
xoxo
Alara
So true! We are the Givers and it can be so hard to just allow ourselves to ask and receive.
Awesome tips Tanya. ( It doesn’t get much better than puppy love ).
I’ve begun reading this :
According to The Pareto Principle — the 80/20 Rule — it’s twenty percent of anything that is responsible for eighty percent of everything. Twenty percent of the things on your To Do list have the power to move your life forward. Eighty percent of the visible progress towards your goal happens in the last twenty percent of the time it takes to reach it http://betterexplained.com/articles/understanding-the-pareto-principle-the-8020-rule/
The challenge is to recognize the magical 20 percent that defines and advances us, and then to nurture it with focused attention so that it may grow.