Time Is a Resource
You don’t need me to tell you that time lost can never be found again. You can find money. How many quarters are under your car seat right now? You can redevelop skills, creativity and talents you thought you had lost. Time is the one resource we have that we cannot get back, so we need to make the best use of it, right?
I’ve heard many people say, if you want to know what’s important to you, look at your bank account register. Dave Ramsey describes budgeting as telling your money where to go, instead of it telling you where to go. Don’t you think that would be the best way to manage our time as well? You decide where you are going to spend your valuable, cannot-get-it-back resource of time, instead of allowing the things of life to manage your time.
Where Is Your Time Going Now?
If you want to know where your time is spent, look at last week’s calendar, or at least spend a few minutes thinking through everything you did the last few days. Some experts recommend doing an intensive time study – for one week write down every thing you do so you can see how you are spending your time. I can see how that would be helpful; I’m too impatient, I just want to hurry up and improve, move forward with making positive changes. If you just jot down everything you can remember doing over the last few days, you will quickly see patterns and opportunities.
Spending Your Time Balance
There are 168 hours in a week. If you work full time and sleep 8 hours a night, you still have 56 hours every week to do all the things you need and want to do. Just like with your other resources, to make the most of the hours you have you have to take charge and manage them. So how do you plan to spend your time balance?
Make it Non-Negotiable
Every Sunday evening is my planning time. If an event or something I need to do interferes with that time, I plan ahead of time to move my planning time to another time. You should choose a time that works best for you. While you need to be flexible as to exactly when your planning time will be, you should decide right now that this weekly habit is not negotiable. Nothing is allowed to get in the way of your best efforts for managing this precious resource.
The first few times you do this, just like with any new habit, it will take a bit longer. It does get faster as you develop your own style. I’m sharing with you what works for me, I hope you’ll share your time management tips in the comments, so we can all improve together.
The Gathering
The first thing I do is ask my husband and daughter what they have going on this week. Then I gather our family calendar, my work calendar, my business calendar, church bulletin, and when our daughter was younger her school, church, and extracurricular activities flyers and notices.
Start With a Clean Slate
Next start with a blank weekly calendar and write in everything that you found in your “gathering” and anything else that is already planned – next week’s planning time (remember it is not negotiable), work, church, events, date night, etc. For you that might include school activities, ballgames, dance class, cheer practice, etc. These are schedules and events that you have little or no control over when they are.
Appointments
Now add in all those things you have scheduled for next week, taking the car to the shop, doctor’s appointments, pedicure, dog grooming, car wash, lunch with friends, going to a play, etc. I keep a list of things that I need or want to do that don’t happen every week. That way I can review the list during my planning time to see if any of those recurring, but not weekly things need to be scheduled.
Errands
Now look at your master to do list. Specifically I look at general errands like going to the dry cleaners or grocery shopping. I fit those in when I’m already out and about, usually on the way home from work. I don’t actually do much grocery shopping, my husband does that.
Driving Time
For every appointment away from home, add time into the calendar for driving to and from those appointments. I put in drive time to work and from work to home. After all I cannot do anything else during that time, except drive and listen to podcasts. Also add in time to prepare to go to these appointments, time to shower, get dressed, get the kids ready, etc. I am a lot less likely to piddle around if I’ve scheduled the time specifically for getting ready to go somewhere.
Time for Yourself
Now pencil in notes of things your family might be doing that don’t really need your attention. For example, my husband plays guitar and has rehearsal at least one evening a week. I use that time to work on my business. I use this time to work in my workshop creating new things for my Etsy shop.
Next put in all the things you personally need to do for yourself. For me that’s my morning routine of meditation, reading, journaling, and exercise. Even though those things are a priority and I prefer to do them at the same time every day, I don’t put them on the calendar immediately. Something else might affect the exact timing.
SURPRISE
At this point, you can see exactly how much time you have available to do other things. Are you surprised by how much time you still have available?
Getting Things Done at Home
These blank areas should be time when you will be at home. Now you can write in all those things related to home — laundry, housecleaning, time to work on your business, playing with your kids, household bookkeeping, being creative, home decor or maintenance projects, and all those other things that must be accomplished every week. Look over that to do list to decide what really must be done this week. Write it in any blank areas that are available. Here is where you will really have to prioritize. If there is a lot of laundry that week, maybe that home decor project will have to sit another week. It’s okay, because you are accomplishing the really important things.
Fine Tuning
Now look over your beautifully planned week. Do you need to make any changes? While you are reviewing plan for the week, be sure to fine tune your to do list. Seeing your week all laid out will make you realize things that you need to do that might not be on the list. If your son is going to a birthday party on Saturday, you need to buy a gift and wrap it before Saturday instead of on the way to the party (yes I am guilty of doing that!). That’s one of those things you can do when you are already out and about doing other appointments and errands.
The Icing On the Cake
Here are a few more tips to make your time budget even better and more joyful:
- Write in time to prepare meals, eat and clean up afterwards. Of course, if you are having a really busy day, order a pizza or make it a soup and sandwich dinner night.
- Look for things that someone else can do and ask for help. Maybe Grandma would like some time spoiling your kids.
- Schedule time to write thank you notes, make phone calls, reply to emails, reply to RSVPs, write birthday cards, etc. (When you RSVP ask if you can bring anything to the event, then put that on your to do list)
- Schedule your time for reading blogs and for social media. I use a timer. When my time is up, I close Facebook.
- Write in time to research that home improvement project or a tax question.
- Use airplane mode. During my morning routine, I put my phone on airplane mode. That way my prayer time is not interrupted by notifications.
- Turn off notifications completely. I have to have certain notifications for my work and my business, but I’ve turned them off completely for social media and other non-critical apps. (Turning them off saves your battery, too)
- Write in time for your favorite shows – you deserve to relax.
- One thing I have learned the hard way is to leave some blank space in each day, preferably some in the morning and some in the afternoon. Things happen and you’ll need that “free” time to recover.
- Put a line at the end of the day for what time you will go to bed. For your health you need to make sure you get enough sleep.
I highly recommend this awesome resource by The Brilliant Business Moms, Time Management Mama. It is full of great tips for managing your time.
I really hope you will some or all of the tips. Just don’t give up if by Tuesday your plans have fallen apart. I know at first I did not schedule enough time for certain things. You can always adjust your plans, the point is make the most of the time we have and that requires planning and working the plan. You can do it!
Please leave comments and questions in the comments section below. If anything needs clarification, I want to be able to provide it for everyone.
Blessings,
Lauree
…keep dancing the dream
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