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Time Management Tools For When You Have Way Too Much To Do

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This resource stems from a Case Study found in the “What Do You Do When?” chapter of Jim Thompson’s (@JimThompson18) book, Elevating Your Game.

Sometimes I just feel overwhelmed and over scheduled. I have practice after school. By the time I get home, it’s 6:30. After dinner, homework is piled up. With other commitments -- clubs, volunteering, work (not to mention friends and sleep) – I feel so much pressure. How do I manage this too-full schedule?

This is an important insight for Triple-Impact Competitors® who want to have a positive impact in the world. Growing involves learning to deal with increased responsibility and learning how to balance athletics and academics. As runners or swimmers learn to lower their times by training beyond the point of discomfort, we also learn to handle more as we get outside our comfort zone.

It’s also true we may try to do so much we don’t do justice to the big things. Too many small things can cloud our vision and overwhelm and discourage us. The key is to decide on your Big Picture and keep focused on it.

Use the “5-Year Rule” to identify your Big Picture: Many of the things we worry about today we won’t even remember in five years, but some will be very important. Project five years into the future and look back: “When I was in high school, I’m glad I...” Try to limit yourself to no more than 5 things, and don’t worry if you don’t get them exactly right at first. You can refine this over time.

To read the full response, including more tools for time management, download the book excerpt found below.

To purchase the entire Elevating Your Game book, and to learn more about other PCA books, click here.

These books are used in PCA’s live workshops. To learn more about our interactive student-athlete workshops, click here.

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