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Introduction to Time Management 7 detail do you include in your calendar(s)? People with one calendar were surprised to learn that some people maintain several (one woman in the workshop said she uses 6 (!) calendars for different purposes including one for work, one for her kids, one for her personal schedule, one for food and meal planning, etc.). Discovering what works best for you is an ongoing process and as things change, your time management strategies will need to change, too. In the final chapter of this book, we will focus on creating a person- alized plan for time management and ongoing time management learn- ing. We begin with attitudes about busyness. ATTITUDES ABOUT BUSYNESS Imagine two people who work at a library: Kate and Linda. Kate is incredibly busy and never takes vacations. Contrarily Linda seems to comfortably accomplish the things she needs to complete in her work day and she take breaks and vacations regularly, too. Based upon these brief descriptions, what is your perception of these individuals? Who do you think has a higher status? If you chose Kate, you are not alone. Studies have shown that people tend to associate busyness with higher status. When being busy is linked to being important and in demand, you may think you need to plan your work so that you will always be busy. Part of the work you need to do when striving to make changes is your time management strategies is to address your attitudes about busyness. What are your perceptions of busyness? Is being „so busy‰ a status symbol for you? What do you think of someone who is able to get work done quickly and has time for relaxation? Have you ever considered the level of difficulty of any work that a colleague appears to do quickly? Do you skip lunch and breaks? Do you use your vacation days? If you donÊt use your vacation days, why donÊt you? I grew up with a workaholic father, and while I am thankful for the strong work ethic I developed under his influence, one of my biggest personal time management challenges is to understand the very real difference between being a hard worker and having an unhealthy focus on work. Workaholism is much more socially acceptable (even socially admired) than other addictions, yet it is a damaging force that priori- tizes work over relationships and personal well-being. It is important to understand that vacations, breaks, and relaxation are good and nec- essary things. If you find yourself not being able to fully believe that, then you may want to spend some time exploring the impact family or societal messages have had on your outlook. It took visits from three ghosts to help Ebenezer Scrooge see the problems with his obsessive focus on work. There are easier ways to gain personal understanding and make changes.