Advice On Time Management
posted on 09/11/2009
Learning to manage time effectively in todays hectic world is an elusive task at best. That being said, learning to manage time could add minutes or hours to your day and even years to your life.
Time management can reduce anxiety and stress in your life and the lives of those who depend on you. It can also cut down on procrastination and removes the rush at zero hour. Some tools that you might find useful are a weekly planner, and a calendar. I find the calendars my elementary teachers used to have on their desks effective in planning out my life. What I add to my Outlook calendar, I also add to my desk calendar.
Delegating tasks can free up time for you and your co-workers, or family. Remember doing the dishes with a friend or sibling. Even with the fighting, it still took half the time. If your children are old enough make them help out. If you don't think they can, teach them. Two hours today, might be 14 hours extra you have at the end of the week on yourself or family time.
Avoid interruptions. Turn your cell phone off. In a real emergency they always have another number to reach you. Leave the TV off whenever possible. I even get distracted by an occasional commercial. Music is great and can make you move faster at some tasks. The occasional breaking out into dance is heart healthy!
Keep a daily To Do List. Crossing off tasks as you complete them is encouraging and gives you the drive to complete the rest of the list. Try to complete in order of importance.
Be flexible and learn to say 'No' sometimes. Not everything on your daily list always has to be completed the same day. If you follow your list by order of importance, some things can wait or some things can get done in stages.
When I have laundry to do, I write laundry on my to do list. I have a habit of trying to accomplish too much at one time or I wait too long to do one task. I have since learned that doing all the whites one day and saving the darks for the next is a big help. Sometimes just getting the linen and towels done is enough for one day.
Take notes on your daily routine. Taking notes and examining your day can help you see where you might be wasting time or where a certain change can free up time elsewhere in you daily routine.
A good night sleep is important for an effective next day experience. Lack of sleep affects every aspect of life. From how you interact with other people, to safe driving. We Americans are busier than ever and sleep often suffers. We need between 7-8.5 good hours of restful sleep. Sleep not only allows the body to rest, but the brain too. Brain function requires regular REM dreams and we also need to get to bed around the same time every night. This is especially important for school age children.
Prepare several meals at one time or cook Sunday dinner so more than one meal can be salvaged. Roast chicken at my house will also yield chicken breast sandwiches for lunches and when most of the meat is gone, freezing the carcass will give me a quick start to homemade soup when I want or need it.
Exercise. Self explanatory…
While food shopping; do so on an empty stomach. You will spend more and buy food not necessarily healthy when hungry. Shop in the opposite direction that the store is designed. The highest price item are eye level on the shelves. Shop for store brands for saving money. When you walk into the store they generally head you to the produce and deli departments. Head the other way. God directly to the frozen section. Shop for what you need (following your store list) and get out.
Use your free time to relax. Weekends were not made to be more hectic than workdays. Relax and make your kids relax too. Happy and healthy lives to all.
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