Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.
— William Penn
How often do you say to yourself, “If there were only more hours in the day?”
In today’s fast paced world, it is a common wish. Time for work. Time for family. Time for chores. Time to relax. We are all looking for “more” time.
There are thousands of tips on the internet about effective time management, but interestingly some of the best advice for managing time efficiently is also the simplest advice.
Make a daily plan.
What a simple concept. If you sit down each morning and map out the day’s activities you will be more successful in reaching your goals for the day.
List what you have to do and then assign a time limit if applicable. This fundamental task will help you put the day in perspective.
Think of it as setting your instruments. If a boat captain doesn’t make sure his controls are set precisely before taking off on a journey across the globe, he’s likely to wind up hundreds of miles off course.
So it is with your day. If you calibrate what it is you have to accomplish before you start, you will be more successful in reaching your goals or destination. If not, you will find yourself off course at day’s end with much still left to do.
Keep a calendar.
When you have a good idea about what your week and your month will look like, planning our your day will be even easier.
Modern technology makes this a fairly painless task. There are any number of calendar apps available with one of the most popular being Google Calendar. This technology even lets you link and share events with other people who may be involved in a particular activity.
Make sure that when you list assignments and activities on your calendar, you also note any deadlines that might apply. Many calendars also have handy alert features to help remind you when something is coming up.
Be aware of time as you are working.
When you are focused on the task at hand, it is easy to lose track of the time.
If you have several tasks planned in succession, it’s not a bad idea to set an alarm. For example, say you’ve scheduled time to fill out some paperwork but have an important meeting following that. Set the alarm to go off before you need to leave for your meeting so you don’t become engrossed and forget about the meeting. Knowing you have an alarm set to go off can also serve as a mental “jog” to stay on task.
Prioritize when you schedule.
Some tasks and activities (like work) must be done at a certain time and some tasks (like grocery shopping) are flexible. With things that are flexible, try to get the most important ones out of the way first.
When you are prioritizing, don’t assign yourself to “low priority.”
Your health and well-being should be top priority. Make sure you give serious weight to things that benefit you such as time for adequate sleep, time to exercise and free time to relax and unwind.
Beware the “time-suck.”
The internet and social media in particular can draw you in and the next thing you know, you’ve spent hours reading blogs, searching recipes and pinning things on Pinterest that strike your fancy.
It’s okay to spend some time doing these things, but again, an alarm might be a good tool to help you limit time spent online.
Try to group similar tasks together.
For example, if you need to run to the store, the dry cleaners and the post office, try to arrange to do all of these things with one trip out.
Keep lists.
Again, a simple but effective tool. A grocery list is particularly helpful. There is nothing that wastes time like going to the store and then getting home to find you forgot to get several key things.
Delegate when you can.
A “chore chart” for the family is a good thing. Assign tasks according to age and ability. For children especially, having assigned tasks instills a sense of accomplishment and responsibility.
Learn that “NO” is not a bad word.
Most of us feel guilty when we say “no” to something we’ve been asked to do. We all want to be thought of as “nice” but saying “yes” when you really need to say “no” can be very stress-inducing.
When you are asked to do something, assess whether or not
a) you want to do it and
b) it feasibly fits into your schedule.
If the answer is no, then say “no.” There is no shame in it. Be firm and be polite but don’t be vague.
