Page 32 - Time Management

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A Few Myths About Managing Your Time
Of course, we’ve all been guilty of these behaviors at one
time or another. Don’t worry if you recognize yourself in a few
of these. But what if many of these behaviors are common for 17
you? Five or more of these indicators signal an obsessive “dan-
ger zone.” You should be alert to an overcommitment to time
and your perceptions of its requirements. And be aware that fig-
uring out the most time-efficient solution is not always feasible.
Here’s a quick example. An obsessive salesperson is going on a
short, five-city trip and wants to figure out the most efficient
solution. Bad news: mathematically, there are 120 ways this trip
could be scheduled. So remember, settle for a very good solu-
tion, not the best.

Stress from the Outside
Not all stress comes from internal, unwarranted, and obsessive
feelings. Real factors exist that pressure you into that familiar
feeling of being overwhelmed. This seems especially true in
today’s technologically enhanced society, where information
overload has created a virtual tidal wave of responsibilities for
most workers. Often, these lie beyond our control. In fact, this
lack of control represents the single most important factor con-
tributing to stress.
Since people react differently to stressful situations, it’s

What Creates Stress?
A well-known “social readjustment scale” was devised
that gave points for various stress-causing events. Death
of a spouse was rated highest (100 points), followed by divorce (73),
marital separation (65), and a jail term (63).Tellingly, some of the occa-
sions for stress mentioned in this list are, in theory, positive events,
such as retirement (45), marital reconciliation (45), or a vacation (13).
Though this scale is useful and often insightful, it does have a prob-
lem: it treats everyone the same. Some people shrug off stressful
events—both negative and positive—as if they were minor inconven-
iences. Others have a hair-trigger response to them. Still others may
be seriously affected by negative events, but are able to experience
positive ones as “de-stressing.”
Which are you?