There have been a lot of “What I learned from my dog” posts but we all love dogs so here’s one more! This one is geared to what our dogs can teach us about time management.
- Take lots of breaks. Breaks increase our productivity reducing the amount of time it takes to complete tasks. Taking breaks is a great idea and dogs agree!
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Have a routine. Some how my dogs learned how to tell time. They KNOW when it is 4:30 and start pestering me for dinner (even though they don’t get fed till closer to 6). They also seem to know when it is bed time by heading in about 30 minutes before we do. Dogs have a routine and we can learn from that. It helps keep them calm and focused on what comes next. It also helps them…
Oreo is letting me know it is dinner time by putting her head on my lap while I work. - Be ready for anything. Whether it is a knock at the door from a potential threat to their home or a call to dinner, my dogs are ALWAYS ready (maybe it is because they get so much sleep). A great time management plan can allow you to be ready for anything that may come up.
- Jump on any opportunity. I would swear my dogs are psychic. I can just THINK “I’m going for a jog” and they get all excited. Whether it’s car rides or going out back to play ball, dogs will jump on any opportunity that comes their way. Sometimes we think time management means we have to stick to a structure and can’t be spontaneous. To the contrary, having a great time management system allows us to better jump on that opportunity when it comes our way!
- Always make time for your loved ones. It doesn’t seem to matter if we have been gone for 5 minutes or 5 days, the dogs are ALWAYS there to greet us as soon as we come home. They also seem to know when we are sad or upset and come to nurture and care for us. But they are also there to have fun with us when we are ready to play. Dogs will always make time for the ones they love. And so should we.
Roxie welcoming Tom home. - Be proud of your accomplishments and share them. I have one dog, in particular, that just loves to help provide for the family. Oreo will always proudly bring back her catch to share (usually rabbit). Whether it is a caught ball or something we’d rather they NOT catch, our dogs are always eager to share their accomplishments with us. Celebrating our successes helps keep us motivated to work towards the next one.
- If you get knocked down, get right back up and keep going. I’ve seen my dogs crash. I’ve also had to scold them a time or too. No matter what knocks them down, they always bounce right back up and keep going. Time is too valuable to dwell on what knocked us down. Move on, like our dogs do.
- Praise and attention are great motivators. Why do we always say “Good boy” to our dogs? Because they thrive on praise and attention! They do more of what we ask when they receive that. Want to improve your time management habits? Build in your own praise and attention, whether that is a reward system you set up for your self or an accountability partner that will be your cheerleader.
- Get plenty of exercise. While my dogs do love to sleep, they also love to run and play. Getting plenty of exercise allows them to have fun and sleep well. A key we can take a lesson from.