The refreshing power of a ‘time-out’

Here’s some facts about time. There are:

• 60 seconds in every minute,
• 60 minutes in each hour,
• 24 hours in a day, and
• 7 days in a week.

It’s the same for all of us. The difference for each of us is how we use this time.

As infopreneurs and solopreneurs, time is a precious thing. We are very aware of it as we work towards our deadlines.

So let me ask. Do you control and use it as a friend? Or does it control you so it’s become your foe?

Friend or foe. Which is it for you.

And if you answered friend, that’s fantastic. We’d love to know your secret, so don’t keep it to yourself and let us all know you’re secret to managing time.

But I digress…… No matter if time is your friend or foe, we all need to take a ‘time-out‘. Just like in a basketball game where the coach calls a time-out so he can gather the players together and discuss and revise tactics, you need to do the same.

Why, because you need to go to the sideline and take a total game view. When you’re busy playing in the game, you have a different perspective of how it’s playing out. You’re focused on your next move. The coach on the sideline is focused on the big picture and what the team needs to do to win.

So take a leaf out of the coach’s book and call a time-out for yourself. Give yourself time to review your play and tweak and adjust as necessary and then get back in the game. Being able to take time-out and prepare for different possibilities makes it much easier to cope with anything thrown in your way. Just like in a basketball game.

Here are three suggestions on how you can put your time-outs to good use.

Review your game plan

Sit down with your goals and objectives and ask yourself questions such as:

• Am I you on the right track to achieving them?
• Do I need to change my play strategy?
• Do I need change what I do, my tasks?
• Are they still realistic?
• Are they still needed?

Review your timeframes

Once you’ve looked at your game plan, think about the timeframes you’ve put down to achieve them.

Are they too ambitious? Are they too easy? Either can be demotivating, making it difficult to achieve your goals.

Remember timeframes are only estimates you’ve given yourself. Make sure you build in time for the flow of day to day life and interruptions.

Getting from the back court to the basket isn’t always a straight line, you need to allow for the occasional zigzag or backwards step. And that’s OK, because you know you will ultimately be heading forward to that basket and scoring.

Know your workstyle rhythm

By knowing when and how you like to work, you are much more productive and effective. I talked about this in Rhythm of Creativity so I won’t repeat myself.

Once you find and understand your rhythm you will be amazed at how much you can get done. Use your time-out to reflect on your creative rhythm and how you can continue to make it work for you.

Final thoughts

Be kind to yourself and use the refreshing power of a time-out regularly. This way you’ll make time your friend, not your foe. I know you’ll find it very empowering!