Tyranny of the Urgent

Photo by viviannedraper

During my senior year of high school, I had a teacher who was an overachiever of the good variety. He was the hiker, and his Mount Everest was the topic of time management.

Imagine that: instructing a group of teenagers (who think they have all the time in the world) that time is, in fact, a golden commodity.

Mr. Krueger was a soft-spoken man, yet his words--read from a tiny, yellow booklet that I can still see with clarity--were earsplitting in their importance:

"Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important."

He knew what he was talking about.

Though my to-do list looks nothing like it did all those years ago, the truth remains the same. I have a million things I could do, but only a handful I should do today. There is, perhaps, no greater time to reflect on this than a day in which we are saving time.

Thank you, Mr. Krueger, for taking the trek.

"Go to Bed!" And Other Useful Strategies

Photo by twob

This Sunday is Daylight Savings, and I admit I would rather go to the dentist than reset my inner clock.

(My apologies if you are a dentist.)

See, adjusting to Daylight Savings isn't as easy as changing the setting on the microwave. It involves re-calibrating the body's internal clock. And that's no small accomplishment. Statistically, more accidents occur on Daylight Savings. Perhaps because--unlike the rest of the year--every. single. person. is . . . tired.

Imagine it. A nation of people propped up on steering wheels by their elbows, slurping coffee and trying to keep their eyes open. Disaster is bound to happen.

Here is my strategy beginning tonight:

Today, tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday: I will go to bed 15 minutes earlier than I did the night before. By the time Sunday morning arrives, I'll be none the wiser.

I plan to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed come Sunday morning. But it will only happen if I plan ahead. And, of course, it wouldn't hurt to avoid all major roads . . .

Go to bed.

It's That Time

Photo by Muffet

Daylight-saving.

To some people, it means sunnier afternoons and the promise of a pending spring season. To others, it is a good reminder to change smoke alarm batteries and verify that carbon monoxide detectors are still working as they should. Yet to others, it simply means an hour less sleep.

No matter. Daylight-saving is here. And for those of us change-phobic terrestrials, it means we need to plan ahead. Here are a few tips from your HouseHoncho Team:

1. Update your clocks today. Start adjusting to the time change by going to bed at the new time. (But be careful not to miss any appointments in the process!)

2. Eat well and keep yourself hydrated. The body will already be taxed with a changing sleep schedule. Compounding it with poor nutritional choices could add to feelings of weariness or stress. (Always seek your doctor’s advice.)

3. Get up on time tomorrow morning so that Monday won’t be even more difficult. Stick to your regular schedule tomorrow—and don’t dwell on the “lost” hour.

Perhaps most important to any change is a positive mental attitude. Winter is on its way out. And that should give us something to celebrate.

Now go. Drink some water.