“I must rule the clock, not be ruled by it.” ~Golda Meir
“Time is a thing that can never be regained. One can lose friends and win back. One can lose money and win back. Opportunity, once spurned, can come again. But the hours lost in idleness can never be undone. recover to be used in lucrative activities” ~Winston Churchill
We all have the same amount of time in a day, no ifs or buts. Some people are able to get so many things done in their days, while others seem to falter and barely make meals. We all have 24 hours in a day, 7 days a week. What we do in those minutes, in those hours determines where our time goes, how our days are spent. Easy? Yes and no. What do others do with their time that allows them to do so much more? What is the secret? I think it involves planning.
Planning is the best time saver there is. Take some time one day a week and see what’s coming your way. Are there appointments that must be kept? Are there birthdays, holidays, special activities, games and/or practices this week? Take notes, either mental or written, of the things you need to put away for the next week. Also, look forward to things to come. You don’t want to wait until the week before something to take action for special events coming up. If someone’s birthday is coming up that’s three weeks away, you can add some preparation for this week’s birthday. Now you can look ahead and schedule those things into your week this week. Even if you just bought some plates, streamers, and candles for the upcoming birthday, you’re a little more prepared. It also doesn’t take a big bite out of money in one fell swoop. By looking ahead and doing simple planning, you don’t leave things to the last minute. This is something done by those people who seem to be on top of things all the time; They don’t leave things to the last minute and make sure they know what’s coming up. They stay ahead of the game.
You can use an elaborate planner system, printable calendar pages, a wall calendar, a desk calendar, a pocket calendar, etc., to do your planning. To be honest, I just use a very simple system right now. All the appointments that we must keep are written on a wall calendar. As soon as they’re done or as soon as I know, I write them on that calendar. I also have a household notebook (also known as a household management notebook, family notebook, and I’m sure other names) where I do my planning. With 5 kids, my dh’s birthday and our anniversary plus all the holidays coming up, I need a place to keep ideas, tips and plans for what lies ahead.
Since I homeschool and stay at home, my days are not filled with outdoor activities or many gatherings. I use a basic daily schedule and try to stick to it as closely as possible. I have devotions, exercise, grooming, cleaning, cooking, preparing meals, and of course going to school on my schedule. We don’t follow this exactly, to the letter, every day. It is a guide for our days. You may need something different. What works for me may not exactly work for you and vice versa. A plan is a good idea for everyone, no matter how busy or not. If you’re a busy person with a lot of meetings, a daily schedule probably won’t work for you. A diary of some kind would be a good idea where you can note down your meetings and various appointments. His weekly planning session would be longer than mine, but it would still be very important to both of us. But be flexible with your plan. Remember that you are not a slave to your planner. It is there to serve you. If your time management system isn’t working, change it. I know I said a lot in these few paragraphs, but I feel that they are important if we want to control our time and make the most of it.
25 Time Management Tips:
1. Keep track of time. Take a piece of paper and fold it in half. Write the hours you are awake on the paper. Now, write what you do during those hours. You can see where your time is going and what you are spending it on. This really helps you keep track of where your time is going. Do this whenever you feel like you can’t keep up with it all.
2. Know what your values are and live them. Who do you want to be? What do you want to do? Where do you want to go in life? Your life can feel miserable and empty if we are not living a life that flows with our values and priorities.
3. Learn to say no to what is not in your mission or your values. Many of us have the yes syndrome. That’s where we say yes to far too many people when we know we should politely say no.
4. Do the best you can now. Stay in the moment, or focus on the task at hand (as a past pastor used to say). If you are working, concentrate on the work, do it. Just like when you relax. Focusing in the moment is a good habit to learn. Have fun now, no matter what you’re doing.
5. Forgive yourself for the past, don’t cling to past mistakes. How often do we waste time because of mistakes we made in the past? If you can learn from it, then learn and let it go. Not only is it liberating, now you’re not wasting time clinging to something you can’t change, you’re not wasting time worrying about it.
6. Listen to audiobooks while you’re in the car. One thing I’d like to do is have a CD player in the van (yes, it’s a bit outdated) and put audiobooks on for all of us to listen to. Those of you who can, use that time in the car to listen to books you’d like to read or when the kids are in the car, put on a family favorite audiobook and enjoy some family read aloud time on the way down by the road.
7. Use a planner. It could be a cheap one you made at home, one you bought at Wal*Mart, or an expensive one you ordered online. I use one that I made myself. I was using a 3 ring binder and printing paper. I’ve done this work for me
8. Get ready sooner than you think is necessary. Leave sooner than you think you need to go. How many of us put those things off until the last possible minute and then are rushed and stressed because we’re going to be late? The concept is simple and should be relatively easy to implement. It will require you to become aware of what you are doing and why. This will result in less rushing around the house and less yelling and less stress while driving.
9. Use the time while you’re on the phone to do something. You can clean your bag, organize a drawer, tidy up your desk, etc.
10. Make up a meal plan and stick to it. Plus, getting things done ahead of time will cut down on hectic dinner parties and eating out. You can do something as simple as browning extra ground beef and freezing it to make OAMC.
11. Create a bedtime routine and stick to it. This is a great rush saver in the morning. If you follow this one thing, you will see a big change in your tomorrow. I’ve been doing this for years and I love it.
12. Stop procrastinating. Procrastination is a bad habit that is acquired and difficult to break. People who are on top of everything, are not late for appointments, have time to prepare meals for other families, check in with neighbors, etc., are people who don’t procrastinate. Procrastination is a thief of time, a thief of joy, and it doesn’t let you have peace of mind. Do whatever you’ve been putting off and you’ll feel better when it’s done.
13. Reduce the amount of time you spend watching television. The TV is a great zapper. We use a device like a Tivo and also closely monitor what we allow into the house. With the Tivo, we can watch a show we like when we have time and skip all the commercials.
14. If you need to call someone who really talks, call when you know you can get off the phone quickly. An example would be around lunchtime and at the end of the day. Plus, if you don’t need to speak to them directly, you can always call them when they’re not home and leave a message on their answering machine.
15. Use your biological clock. When are you most productive? When are you least productive? Plan for items that require the most energy from you when you have the most energy. And the same with your least energetic moment of the day. I have less energy at night, so I try not to do much at that time. That means I need to do as much as possible before then.
16. With your priorities in mind, make a checklist of the things you want to accomplish each day. Take a look at your goals each day and then prioritize your list.
17. Clean your desk at the end of the day. Put everything away, and when you go the next day, everything will be properly organized and straightened out. Who likes to start the day in the middle of a mess?
18. Keep a calendar on your desk. I have one hanging above my desk, but I’ve also used a desktop calendar. Correct important dates there and appointments. Now you can see what’s coming up at a quick glance.
19. Don’t leave it, save it. One of the reasons we have so many stacks of paper is because, well, we pile it up. All trash must immediately go in the trash. Mail should have a place to go, and only keep what is needed. Have a designated area for the paper and make sure it gets there.
20. Continually re-evaluate your system. If something works, throw it away. If you see someone doing something different, give it a try. Read books on the subject and change what you think will work. Nothing is written in concrete, it can be changed, adapted when necessary.
21. Once a week clean out your bag and organizer.
22. Always put away what you’re using when you’re done. We waste a lot of time looking for things because we don’t put them away when we’re done with them. Have a place for your keys, wallet, cell phone, etc.
23. Delegate! This is something we should be doing. When a mother does all the housework, she is not delegating enough. This is not to say that we should not work, but when we are picking up everyone’s waste, doing everything for each meal, all parts of the laundry chores, etc. then we are doing too much for ourselves. Two or more people can achieve more than one can.
24. Believe in yourself. Most of the time we are our own worst enemy. I know you’ve heard this before, if you don’t believe in yourself, who will?
25. Let go of perfectionism. Not everything has to be done perfectly and some things are out of your control.
“You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must get it.” ~Charles Burton
“Everything becomes different when we choose to take control instead of being controlled. We experience a new sense of freedom, growth and energy.” Dr Eric Allenbaugh