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Listen, I get busy. I work a lot, connect with those close to me often, try to stay on top of daily responsibilities, and make room for hobbies and outings when I can. I know what it feels like when there’s just not enough time to get it all done.
Hurried.
Rushed.
Just trying to keep up.
We need to stop the glorification of ‘busy’.
Being busy does not validate your worth. It’s a relentless motive that feeds fear and worry that we aren’t doing enough - that we aren’t enough. Busy deceives us to believe that we are accomplishing a lot, while we continue to feel unsatisfied, unsuccessful, and unhappy with our efforts.
More room to workout or have a healthy meal with your family, a free afternoon to yourself, or just simply some extra mental space, I want that for you. I think it’s important for you to grow and thrive. Here are 5 quick tips for better time management so that you can take positive steps in the right direction towards reclaiming your (yes YOUR) time. ↓
❗Tip #1: Schedule in “non-negotiables” a week in advance. Before you start your week, write down, preferably on paper (where you can get these details out of your head), what responsibilities, schedules, or important commitments will be happening that you know cannot change. This could include daycare schedules, work shifts, workouts, or coffee dates. From here, you’ll have a better idea of what days are jam-packed (and don’t need any additional “stuff” added to them), and what days have more opportunity for productivity.
🥗 Tip #2: Write down ideas for meals. Hey, we all gotta eat. It’s a part of life and when we do it well, we actually feel more energetic, focussed, and capable of handling our busy lives. Taking 15 minutes to make a rough draft for the week can save you from wasting time and energy figuring it out at the moment. Even if you do not end up cooking what you planned, this will help you have a backup. It will ensure some ideas that can help take out the “negotiating” or “humming and hawing” that happens right before mealtime when you’re unmotivated and worse yet, hangry.
⚠️ Tip #3: Don’t treat everything that is important as priority. These are two very different things that are oftentimes confused to be the same. Important things can be time-sensitive, pop up unexpectedly, and generally need to be addressed right away. Priorities are what we intentionally choose to focus on, that will propel us in the direction of our dreams. When everything is a priority, nothing is. Make sure you respect and protect the time you set aside for what you identify as a priority.
🤔 Tip #4: Brain dump. Sometimes we can get overwhelmed by things that are weeks away. Brain dumping is simply taking a blank piece of paper and writing down anything and everything that comes to mind including things that need to get done, ideas, or anything else that consumes your mental energy and physical time. By brain dumping, you’ll be able to see more clearly what needs your attention this week and then be able to set aside what’s happening in the future for a later time.
😌 Tip #5: Evaluate the things that are consuming your time and identify them as either life-giving or joy-robbing. Sometimes we have to make tough calls about where we want to invest our valuable (and limited) time. If you’ve committed to something that turned out to be less than exciting, or if you’re bogged down by various redundant tasks, ask yourself - can I delegate this elsewhere, ask for help, or get rid of it completely? Simply recognizing choice and options here can be liberating.
We can’t extend the hours in a day, but we can be more intentional with how we use them. By being proactive, you wont need additional time, but the time you do have with be something you can actively enjoy on your terms.
I’d love to hear what you find the most challenging about time-management. Would you comment below and let me know?
Here for your success,
Jenn
Ps. Do you know someone who could benefit from these tips? Feel free to 'share' this post with them! #timemanagementtips
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