One night last week, I was all set to head to a board meeting when it dawned on that I was absolutely exhausted.  Probably had to do with the fact that I work a lot and I’m always busy, juggling running a business with lots of other responsibilities.

In fact, my gut was telling me, “Wendy, you SO need to stay home tonight and give your body a rest.”  And rest I did. I read, watched a little TV, cooked dinner and hung out with my husband. Nice, relaxing, restful — and healthy.

The thing is, it’s so easy to let our health take a backseat, to ignore warning signs that we’re getting rundown or not feeling our best. And with numerous things to juggle, as many of us do, it’s no wonder it’s not always at the top of our list.

But when we do tune in and slow down a bit, there’s ample opportunity to be PREVENTATIVE, instead of reactive. Why wait until we’re really sick and then seriously down for the count, when being proactive can help thwart it?

I have a hunch my friend Paula Eder, a time management guru, would agree. Paula blogs over at The Time Finder about being proactive with our time to avoid those last minute emergencies that can cause us stress. There’s a nice parallel, I believe, with minding our time and our health to feel our best.

What about you, how do you shift your priorities on the fly to protect your health? What gets in the way and what’s worked in the past? Please share your successes and ideas.

I’m being very conscious this year to not overbook and begin with the end in mind. At the end of December, I want to feel rested, relaxed and ready to start ‘08 with a bang. I don’t have to go every party to which I’m invited, eat like I’ll never see food again or rush around so much that I’m in a state of exhaustion. Aren’t the holidays supposed to be enjoyable? To this end, we’re choosing the activities and celebrations that mean the most to us and learning to say no, gracefully.

What are you plans for the holidays and how can you create a nice balance between enjoying yourself and feeling rested and rejuvenated?

If we can’t lessen our load, if we must accomplish many things each day, we can still change the quality with which we do things. How can we transmute that sprint for the train into something delicious, instead of the usual gripping and tightening experience? Where can we find ease in the midst of stress? How can we cultivate the art of going slowly?

Take a few moments before you climb out of bed in the morning to remember your dreams and to think about what you want from the day. Leave your watch on the bedside table. Take the scenic route. Sit for a moment with your eyes closed when you start your computer. Check e-mail only twice a day. Don’t pack your schedule so tightly that there’s no time for a short walk. Light candles before you start to cook dinner. One moment here and there for slowness; it can be done and must.

Adapted from an article by Marco Visscher & Jay Walljasper, Ode Magazine, Issue #15 www.odemagazine.com

Rather than labeling yourself or beating yourself up, realize that time management is an area of your life that you can strengthen. Like a new muscle, it takes practice and repetition to make it stronger. To help you get started, here are some steps to streamline your days at work and at home. Try the first one or two that jump out at you:

• Allocate time for planning and organizing.
• Create to-do lists that are realistic, not intimidating. Use only one to-do list.
• Under-schedule your time: leave time for the unexpected and for interruptions. When you estimate how long something will take, add on 1/3 of that time.
• Schedule your time in a way that reduces interruptions that lower your productivity.
• Practice the art of intelligent neglect: eliminate trivial tasks.
• Prioritize what is most important and do that first.
• Consider your biological prime time: at what time of day do you work best? Plan to do your most important work at that time.
• If you say yes to everything that comes your way, learn to say NO.
• In the evening make your to-do list for the next day, so it will be out of your brain and on a piece of paper. Leave work with a clear head and a clean desk. Acknowledge yourself daily for all that you have accomplished.

Also take a look at the two biggest hindrances to using time effectively: procrastinating and lacking purpose. We usually procrastinate when a task seems too daunting, too large, too complex, or when we feel we won’t be able to handle it. When you get that “deer in the headlights” feeling, try “chunking”: break the large task into smaller, manageable action steps, and start with the first one. We also often drag our heels or use our time inefficiently because we are bored, unengaged, and uninspired. The most effective people will tell you that they love what they do and are aligned with a greater purpose. When it comes to managing your time, you may need to ask the larger questions, “Am I doing what I love to do? Am I doing something meaningful to me?”

As you strengthen your new time management muscle, keep your focus on getting organized so that you can live the life you came here for. Instead of being a chore, good time management can be your ticket to bigger fun, greater satisfaction, and a vibrant, exciting life.