Are you struggling to find more hours in the day? Here are 10 time management tips that have revolutionized my life.
1. Turn off the TV
Most of us watch many hours daily, so television/movies take a big chunk of time away from more productive activities. If you’re struggling with a lack of time and the black box is on a lot in your home, try cutting back, setting a viewing schedule, or even moving it to another room. (Because I’m a total TV addict, this is the hardest for me, but helps most.)
2. Have a consistent routine
Having a written down “time budget” helps tremendously. I don’t currently have a strict schedule, nor do I advocate one because it’s pretty much impossible to follow, but I do like having a consistent routine. Writing it down and crossing it off as I accomplish each thing helps me to stay on track and be more efficient. It’s the difference between wishing I could do yoga everyday and actually doing it. More often than not, many of the things I hope to accomplish in a day actually get done when it’s written out in front of me, rather than in my head. Without a written routine, I’m much more easily distracted which, in turn, means I am much less productive.
3. Write a daily to-do list
Combined with a routine, this helps enormously for staying on time. I rarely get everything done on my to-do list, but it gives me an attainable goal to work towards. Anything that doesn’t get done is simply moved to another day.
4. Eliminate clutter
The less stuff you have, the less time it takes to keep up with. If you don’t love it, use it on a regular basis, or can easily live without it, get rid of it. There’s no point in having junk sitting around your home, taking up space, and needing storing and dusting.
5. Stay home more
What a novel idea! It really works, I tell you. I love being home and have found that carefully guarding my outside activities and engagements really helps me be more efficient and less frazzled. This time not only save time, it also saves money.
6. Have dinner planned/prepared before lunch time
This makes a world of difference at our house. I have a 30 minute time block in the morning to plan/prep/prepare dinner. We usually stick to simple meals around here and most of them can be made in 20 minutes or less. If I wait until dinnertime, I’m usually too tired and/or hungry and we’ll end up going out to eat.
To streamline dinner prep, I like to bulk cook and have most items on hand. Many times, I just pick a protein, starch, and veggie and call that a meal. Another good idea is to use the crockpot if you work outside the home. Dinner doesn’t always have to be an elaborate feast, you know.
Another benefit to making dinner earlier is that the dishes aren’t waiting for me late at night.
7. Stay off the phone
For me, the phone can easily be a huge time-waster, not just talk but also text. Don’t be afraid to use the answering machine and caller ID to screen calls during the day. True emergencies are rare and most people just want to gossip. Also, I try to conduct as much communication through email that I can since it’s quicker.
8. Use the timer
When I’m feeling down or exhausted, I set the timer for 10 minutes as a motivator. What seemed like a monumental task can be broken down into bite-sized pieces that are easily accomplished.
9. Take care of yourself
Getting enough sleep, exercising, eating well, drinking plenty of water—these things all add up to better health and more productivity. If I’m tired, I’m less productive. If I’m sick, nothing goes well. As women, we tend to be caregivers to everyone except ourselves. This has to change!
10. Have a day of rest every week
God knew what He was doing when He implemented this from the beginning of time! It really does make a huge difference to have one day in seven be set aside for refreshing your spirit.
How do you manage your time?
