This informal CPD article, ‘Managing and Balancing Prorities’, was provided by Linda James MBE, founder of BulliesOut, one of the UK’s most dedicated and ambitious anti-bullying charities.
In a fast-paced and ever-changing world, it is essential for us all to manage and balance our priorities. These priorities will range from those relating to our paid work, any volunteer work we do, extra-curricular activities or hobbies and, of course, spending time with those who matter most to us. So how do we do this? How do we choose or decide what needs to come first?
The challenge of managing priorities
Sometimes, due to the very nature of what we may be dealing with, we must go into fire-fighting mode – so we do our best to manage as much of all our priorities as we can all at the same time, and often this requires putting in extra time and effort to get through everything. This is not a sustainable mode to be in, however, and there are times when, even though they may be important to us, some things must take a sideline or wait a bit longer than we perhaps like.
Most of the time there will always be conflicting demands on our time, and we often have to make difficult choices as to what or who to put first, (which most times means that we end up being at the bottom of our own priority list).
Many of us find it difficult to say no – to say no to people who are asking for our help, to say no to someone who wants to see us for a coffee, to say no to the obvious piles of work which are around us – whether that be our email inbox or a mountain of ironing. So, why do we often say no to ourselves?
Many individuals find it challenging to say no due to their inclination to please others. However, sometimes, just sometimes, we all may have to. We must learn to protect ourselves, our time (which is precious), and often our mental health by doing so. It is not selfish to want to spend a day out with family or friends, or to want to turn your phone onto silent mode and watch a good film. These are essential requirements for all of us to ensure that we can rest and be refreshed to continue with the daily grind.
The importance of taking time
Let us all try to remember that by not doing the ironing immediately nothing bad will happen (although granted the pile will continue to grow), but these are things we can ‘get around to’ if there is a need to stop and look after ourselves for a short while. By remembering to take care of ourselves (as indeed no-one else can do this for us), we retain the capacity and the compassion to continue to care for others and to do what is required of us in our world - whoever that may involve and whatever that might look like.
There is so much pressure on people these days that we forget to take time; time to sit and be with other people, time to sit and be quiet and content with ourselves, and time to rest and get ourselves refreshed again in order to continue with our daily lives. Take time everyone!
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from BulliesOut, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
