Everyone’s time is valuable to them and no one I know wants to waste theirs. Right? So, we’re always trying to make the most of our 24 hours-making lists, multitasking, organizing, and problem solving. Me
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When I finally achieved my goal of baking a really good chocolate chip cookie, I had one of those aha moments Oprah is always talking about. If I wanted to make the most of my time, I had to pay way more attention to being effective instead of just efficient.
I love chocolate chips cookies! I especially loved making them with my kids but I never really liked the ones that I baked. Every time I baked them, I tried a different recipe, but I was never happy. I never put a lot of thought into the recipe I was trying; only that it was different. The day I made the really good cookies, I just used the recipe on the bag of chocolate chips. The only difference was that I used butter instead of margarine. You see, I never used butter when I baked because I was always trying to save on calories. I never gave it a second thought. I only used butter that day because that was all I had in the refrigerator. When I ate that delicious cookie and wondered what was so different now, the light bulb went off.
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Even though I made all that effort to look for the right recipe, I never stopped to ask myself why I didn’t like my cookies. Nor did I ask myself what kind of cookie I actually preferred. If I had, I would’ve realized it was just the simple fact that I didn’t like the texture of the cookies I baked. It would’ve been easy enough to figure out that I could change the texture of the cookie by using butter instead of margarine.
A small change made a big difference. That’s what being effective is-not just doing something, but doing the right something. That saves time. That’s what I remind myself when the to-dos pile up and I forget that busyness is not a badge of honor. I’m also reminded of it every time I eat a chocolate chip cookie, so of course, it’s not a bad idea to make sure we always have some around!
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All kidding aside, in a world where we’re all bombarded with information and things to do, how do you make the most of your time? How do you make sure you’re effective?
Lisa is a mother of three lovely young women and is a new grandmother to a baby boy! She has been married to her high school sweetheart for more than thirty years. Lisa is originally from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, but has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1984. Running a small business for over 25 years and raising a family has made for a busy, busy life with many ups and downs; it’s definitely been an adventure.
Lisa’s always involved in one project or another whether it’s work related or serving her community. She also recently went back to school to finish her bachelor’s degree in American Studies. Lisa tries to make every day a good day—that means learning something new, practicing kindness, and enjoying the present moment.
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