Master time management and everything else falls into place
“Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else.” ~ Peter Drucker, management consultant
If you had a choice to have more time or more money which would you pick? I would pick more time. Most days 24 hours just doesn't seem like nearly enough time for the number of things I need to do or want to get done. On days when it feels like the time is crawling by I realize there's a handful of things I forgot to do. Can anyone relate?I'm not a time management expert nor do I claim to be but I have learned something about managing time along this wellness journey of mine. In the beginning when I first started my training at the gym I often struggled to find the time for everything. Adding 5 hours a week at the gym and a few hours on the weekend for meal prep to my already busy schedule was a challenge. Learning how to manage my time to maximize my productivity was definitely on my to do list in the beginning. So I read books, listened to pod casts and had chats with my trainer on how to manage my time more effectively so I wouldn't burn myself out. Over time I've gotten better at it.
“It's not always that we need to do more but rather that we need to focus on less."
Prioritize being productive rather than busy
In order to be productive we need to first recognize the way we use our time. To get a handle on my own use of time for a week I wrote down exactly what I did during my waking hours; shower, coffee, commute to work, time on my phone, cooking, cleaning, work, gym, meal prep, laundry, everything... I tracked my activities for one week. At the end of the week I looked back over each day and was surprised at how much time I was wasting. I always felt busy. But busy doesn't necessarily mean productive. And there were times each day where I was busy literally doing nothing. And the harder tasks I would sometimes avoid until the end of the day if I could often not allowing time for them to get done. I am not a fan of cooking but will meal prep to stay on track with my training. It is a task I literally dread each week and I found that I would put it off for as long as possible on a Sunday. I would do all the fun or easier tasks before meal prep and was often prepping late in the evening when I should have been going to bed. (and we all know the importance of a good night's sleep.)
Eliminate the hardest tasks first
“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” - Dale Carnegie, American writer
When I took an inventory of what I did with my time each day I was able to plan and organize my time more effectively. Time management, planning and organization all go hand in hand. One cannot exist effectively without the other two. So what I did was organize the tasks in my daily schedule into categories; non-negotiable (things that are high on the priority list of tasks or had to be done like picking up the little guy at school, work and, for me, training), appointments, work, self-care and fun. Anything that did not fit into one of those categories was eliminated from the list of tasks or put on the 'waste of time' list. Then I prioritized my tasks in a list and using a planner and colored gel pens I organized my week on paper. I am a very visual person and using the color coding and old school paper and pen approach worked for me.
When we take inventory of what we do with our time it becomes easier to see where we are not being productive and maximize the time for more productive tasks. But in order to do that we need to be organized and plan ahead. After all if we fail to plan we are just planning to fail. Once we organize our time more effectively it is amazing how we get more done in the same amount of time and still have time to do the fun stuff.
So how exactly do we do this. Well, first start by identifying the chunks of time where time is being wasted. This could be time where not much work is getting done or play time that is not so enjoyable. Then focus on what’s important and ignore what isn’t. The easiest way to waste hours of your day is to do “work” that isn’t getting much done. Time management isn't just about doing things faster, but of doing the right things. Constantly measure and be aware of the actual value each of your tasks brings. Those that don’t add much should be simplified or eliminated entirely to focus on those that do.
Time management strategies
Set deadlines or create tasks as appointments. When there is a time frame or limit on a task we are more likely to complete it and do it on time. I pencil my training into my weekly planner like its an appointment. The question is never 'am I going to the gym to day?' It's 'when am I going to the gym today?' because I have it scheduled.
Give yourself rewards for extra time. When you finish a task early allow yourself some down time; catch up on social media, watch an episode of that show you've been wanting to watch, read or simply sit back and relax.
Start your day by going over your schedule (or maybe you do this the night before) but make sure each morning you know what your schedule is and what priorities you have for that day, appointments, meetings etc... Set your intentions for the day and follow through.
Save time by grouping similar smaller tasks together; take out the trash when you check the mailbox, load the dishwasher when you clear the dinner dishes.
Time management resources
There are a lot of apps our there that can help with time management. My suggestion is you find one that works for you. Here are a few suggestions:
Cozi: Cozi is one of my favorite organization and time management apps and well worth the $29.99/yr membership. If you have a busy family that has all different schedules this is the app for you. My husband and I use it and it great. You can organize your calendar appointments and events according to family member, record lists (we have one for to-do's, groceries, even specific stores). You can set the lists to be visible to just one user, several or all. Plus, Cozi can be accessed on your phone or desktop, send you several notifications and give you directions to an event.
Google calendar: Another great app to keep the family organized. Best feature is that it is FREE. All you need is a google account which is also free. You can use google calendar to sync across your devices, so appointment reminders pop up. It’s also very helpful for family scheduling.
Evernote: is a great to-do list app. Evernote is a mobile app designed for note-taking, organizing, task lists, and archiving. It’s also great for tracking goals and has a free version. I have not used it personally but know people who have and love it.
Law of Attraction Planner: I am a pen and paper kind of person when it comes to staying organized. I love The Law of Attraction planners available on Amazon. Each month is organized in to weekly sections that give you a time schedule for each day of the week making it easy to pencil in your priorities, appointments, work, play and goals. At the end of each month take a look back to evaluate what you accomplished and set goals for the new month.
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Thank you so much for visiting my blog. A new post will publish every Tuesday & Friday and will focus on practical things I have learned through my wellness journey. If you find the posts resonate with you please subscribe and come back to read more, share or comment, and let me know what you think. I hope I inspire you to live a healthy, happy life. You can also connect with me through Facebook and Instagram. Reach out if you want to connect directly.
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