Is Your Life Under Control?
Do you ever feel as if your life is controlling you and not the other way around?
Do you ever want to shout ‘Stop!’ and take charge of the way you manage each day, week,
month or even year?
If the answer is yes, then we have something in common. I often get the impression that
I live according to other people’s agendas; family, friends, work colleagues and even strangers.
I’ve tried a wide range of different organizational tools, but nothing seems to improve the
situation. I use a paper diary for day-to-day appointments and a weekly /monthly planner to
set my short-term goals. I use online software to keep track of the hours I work on certain
projects and digital project files and ‘to do’ lists, but I constantly fail to meet my expectations
and personal deadlines.
Life has a habit of getting in the way. It could be a favour a friend asks of me (who can refuse
a friend in need, right?) or a family member has an ‘urgent’ problem. Social events appear out
of nowhere and new work tasks come up that need to be dealt with. It seems that other people’s
priorities also have to be mine and saying ‘no’ without offending is a skill I haven’t yet mastered.