PLAN YOUR TIME
Seems pretty obvious, right? Well, I got seriously mocked for having "Tim Time" on my time budget. Mock me all you want, but this guy is a priority in my life. If I don't plan for him, than I may never be able to see him. Our lives are a bit chaotic and I want to make sure that he is always a priority. Therefore, I will continue to schedule time in my life for my main man. This week we have an appointment with the eye doctor {AGAIN} so Tim can say goodbye to these glasses.
Here are a few ideas that I've used to help me plan my time:
1. Let go of things that do not help you achieve your goals and priorities in life.
Only plan activities that will help you accomplish your goals. Obviously, this tip can't be completed if you haven't followed tip #1, which probably seemed pretty cheesy, huh? However, these are the guidelines you must use to determine how you will use your time.
One thing that I've learned to let go of in my life is ironing every single piece of clothing. I used to spend hours every single week ironing all of my boys jeans and t-shirts, just to do it again the next week. When I examined my time usage I realized that ironing was always taking much longer than I originally thought it would {3 hours vs. 1 hour}. I decided that I had much bigger priorities in my life than my kids having perfectly pressed jeans that would just be wrinkled within minutes of them putting them on.
2. Plan your time!
Take one day each week to sit down and incorporate all of your weekly tasks into your schedule.
I usually write down all the things that I need or want to do during the week and then plan out which days I will do them. This helps me be realistic about how much I can actually accomplish in one week. I also sit down every evening and plan out the next day (by scribbling it down in a notebook). It's nice to have a guideline when I wake up in the morning instead of wasting half the day trying to decide which task I should start first.
3. Schedule as many tasks and activities as possible, but don't be devastated if you can't accomplish everything.
Learn that it's okay to let things go and just add them in your schedule for another time.
My list of things I would like to do during the week is often fairly long. Many, many, times I will end up having the same exact list for two weeks in a row because I wasn't able to accomplish ANYTHING one week. That's okay. {It never feels okay, but I'm trying to tell myself that it's okay}.
4. Understand your energy levels and plan your time accordingly.
This one tip has been so helpful for me. It's so easy to start plugging things into your schedule, but when the time comes to actually do that activity you may just not feel up to it. I've noticed that I have more energy in the mornings to do physical activities like cleaning. In the afternoon, I like doing my office work because I am little more tired. It's nice to sit at a desk and get some things accomplished. Also, I've noticed that I NEVER have energy to do any office work in the evenings. So, I plan my time accordingly.
This is also a great tip when planning exercise, reading and anything that requires more energy than others. This often takes time to figure out and get just right. I often find myself trying to clean and I just don't feel like it. That's when I realize it's best to walk away and do it another time. I'll go start another project that I actually feel like doing.
5. Re-evaluate your schedule often.
I re-evaluate every single minute of the day. My schedule is constantly changing and is RARELY the way I've planned it. That may not be ideal, but that's how it has to be right now. I know it's because of my current phase of life. Having three young children at home requires me to be flexible.
Here's what we've covered so far:
Tip #1: Define Your Goals
Tip #2: Examine Your Time Usage
Tip #3: Plan Your Time
Only two more tips to go!
Here are a few ideas that I've used to help me plan my time:
1. Let go of things that do not help you achieve your goals and priorities in life.
Only plan activities that will help you accomplish your goals. Obviously, this tip can't be completed if you haven't followed tip #1, which probably seemed pretty cheesy, huh? However, these are the guidelines you must use to determine how you will use your time.
One thing that I've learned to let go of in my life is ironing every single piece of clothing. I used to spend hours every single week ironing all of my boys jeans and t-shirts, just to do it again the next week. When I examined my time usage I realized that ironing was always taking much longer than I originally thought it would {3 hours vs. 1 hour}. I decided that I had much bigger priorities in my life than my kids having perfectly pressed jeans that would just be wrinkled within minutes of them putting them on.
2. Plan your time!
Take one day each week to sit down and incorporate all of your weekly tasks into your schedule.
I usually write down all the things that I need or want to do during the week and then plan out which days I will do them. This helps me be realistic about how much I can actually accomplish in one week. I also sit down every evening and plan out the next day (by scribbling it down in a notebook). It's nice to have a guideline when I wake up in the morning instead of wasting half the day trying to decide which task I should start first.
3. Schedule as many tasks and activities as possible, but don't be devastated if you can't accomplish everything.
Learn that it's okay to let things go and just add them in your schedule for another time.
My list of things I would like to do during the week is often fairly long. Many, many, times I will end up having the same exact list for two weeks in a row because I wasn't able to accomplish ANYTHING one week. That's okay. {It never feels okay, but I'm trying to tell myself that it's okay}.
4. Understand your energy levels and plan your time accordingly.
This one tip has been so helpful for me. It's so easy to start plugging things into your schedule, but when the time comes to actually do that activity you may just not feel up to it. I've noticed that I have more energy in the mornings to do physical activities like cleaning. In the afternoon, I like doing my office work because I am little more tired. It's nice to sit at a desk and get some things accomplished. Also, I've noticed that I NEVER have energy to do any office work in the evenings. So, I plan my time accordingly.
This is also a great tip when planning exercise, reading and anything that requires more energy than others. This often takes time to figure out and get just right. I often find myself trying to clean and I just don't feel like it. That's when I realize it's best to walk away and do it another time. I'll go start another project that I actually feel like doing.
5. Re-evaluate your schedule often.
I re-evaluate every single minute of the day. My schedule is constantly changing and is RARELY the way I've planned it. That may not be ideal, but that's how it has to be right now. I know it's because of my current phase of life. Having three young children at home requires me to be flexible.
Here's what we've covered so far:
Tip #1: Define Your Goals
Tip #2: Examine Your Time Usage
Tip #3: Plan Your Time
Only two more tips to go!
3 comments:
Lasik was a success! Goodbye to the crappy glasses...hello 20/20 vision. Not quite as good as Britt's, but pretty good :)
I have been reading your tips and I am going to be reading your book suggestion. I agree if you don't mentally make note of your man he can get lost in the shuffle of carpool, kids and everything else. Besides time for your man is like time for you too right!
AWESOME! I'm proud of your time management!
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