Take 15 to Renew

What is the most important thing you will do in the next seven days? When will it take place? How will you prepare? When you complete it, what, besides relief, will be your response? For most of us, it will be hurry on to the next goal. For others there will be a short gap to clear out the jetsam of emails, calls, and paper that the river of time deposited on you while you focused on the event.

Here is an alternative recommendation after the event is over. Invest fifteen.

• Take five minutes to savor its completion.
• Take a second five more to capture its essence. Are you pleased? What was good? What might be improved? Who needs to be thanked? What did you learn? Record a note or two.
• Take five more just to be present, notice everything around you, and think about right now.

While you’ll be the final judge about the effectiveness of this recommendation, I anticipate that you’ll find that investing fifteen minutes this way will increase your joy and satisfaction plus renew your energy. Time management is not only about climbing the peaks, it’s also about creating space to take in the view.