I recently read an article by Robert Chen, founder of Embrace Possibility and author of The Dreams to Reality Fieldbook. The article basically says that successful people possess certain qualities. Two qualities that stood out to me were successful people are “masters of time” and are “action-oriented.”  For me, these two qualities go hand-in-hand. You cannot have one without the other.

In this fast moving world we live in, it’s extremely important that we learn to take control of our day.  This can definitely be a struggle for many during a transition because we have so many roles.  We are wife/husband, mother/father, grandmother/grandfather, sister/brother, aunt/uncle, and so many other titles.  Oftentimes we can get lost in the needs of others while neglecting our own needs.  I have discussed being intentional – well here I go again!  It is extremely important to be intentional about your time.

Start each day with a list.  I get it, if you are like me, you don’t like making lists, but trust me they work.  When you take a few minutes to plan your day it helps you to see where you are not being productive in the process and affords you the opportunity to adjust.  Sometimes the adjustment is just a simple “no” to people you would normally say yes.  Always being available for others impedes your ability to stay productive in the process. Not only should you maintain a daily list, but break that list down into increments of small projects allowing your self time to eat, take a walk or even spend time with family and friends.  When we get so tied up with work and no play, we become resentful and began to neglect the goals we have set for a successful transition.  In fact, someone recently told me that they set a timer when they were working on a project.  What a great idea because we can become so engrossed in what we’re doing we forget about the world around us.  Now, every time I sit at my computer, I set my timer for thirty minutes.  When the timer goes off, I stop for five to ten minutes to stand or do something away from my desk.  It is really up to you to decide how creative you want to be, but whatever you decide to do you must learn to master your time to be productive in the process.

Once you learn to master your time you tend to become more action-oriented. For example, you stop procrastinating and begin to see progress in your transition.  As a matter of fact, when you stop dragging your feet and begin to take steps towards a productive transition it could be the most important steps you make because procrastination can be the death of progress.  In order to be productive, we must stop saying, “I would if I had time” and just make time for what needs to be done.  Remember, procrastination is just a sign that we lack discipline.  When we learn to have self-control over our time we will slowly learn how to stop putting things off until later and we become active, productive members in the process of our transition.

Procrastination was really a problem for me at one point in my life.  I had to come up with strategies that would force me to get things done. When I did that I was unable to say I didn’t have time.  For example, when my mom was sick and I spent most of the day at the nursing home, I would take books or magazines I wanted to read or collect research from and I would read them aloud to my mother and make notes in the margins as I read.  This gave me time to research and spend time with my mom without being stressed about needing to read later.  Once you stop procrastinating and begin to focus more on progress instead of the lack thereof, you will notice that you have become productive in your process and the transition will be a success.

One thing we must keep in mind is that before, during, and after a transition, life can become difficult.  We can choose to have a smooth, productive transition, or we can choose to invite chaos into our life during the transition.

When we procrastinate and make excuses we will definitely experience turmoil. Instead of fighting with your fears, why not begin working on the most important thing? You, and become productive in the process.