Time Management
This past Sunday was Daylight Savings Time and I, for one, loved it.
Most mornings, I get out of bed feeling... well, feeling like I'd like to crawl right back into bed and sleep for a few more hours...
But on Saturday night, I got into bed at midnight, which became 11pm, then slept until 8am which felt like 9am! I popped out of bed feeling as sprightly as a bunny.
What followed was an incredibly productive day. I exercised, went to the farmers' market, made a delicious breakfast for B & I (scrambled eggs with zucchini, mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese - on top of a slice of sprouted grain bread, served with a dash of sriracha hot sauce on the side), did laundry, met with a coworker to plan our after-school program, ate dinner with B (yummy falafel he brought home from some place in Williamsburg), watched a movie, and was back in bed by 10pm.
It felt like I finally had enough time in the day.
As our bodies readjust to the time change, and our "I'll just hit the snooze button once more" instincts creep back in, it seems worthwhile to revisit some of the principles of time management. Lest we squander our gained hour.
The secret to managing your time is about working smarter, not harder. It is about prioritizing the important things and learning to use your time effectively.
Some of us, by nature, organize and get tasks out of the way before we relax, while others of us play first and work later. It is important to know which type you are and whether your style is allowing you to have the life you really want.
Maybe you are the super-organized type but need to learn to schedule more time for relaxing and fun.
Or perhaps you are a naturally less organized person who needs to click off the TV and write that grad-school application.
Rather than beating yourself up, realize that time management is an area of your life that you can strengthen. Like a new muscle, it takes practice and repetition to make it stronger. To help you get started, here are some steps to streamline your days at work and at home.
* Allocate time for planning and organizing. Sunday afternoons are good for this. Create a to-do list for the week. Start by just listing everything you want to accomplish during the week from grocery shopping, to painting your toenails, to calling your grandmother. Then start breaking the list down by spreading the items out over the course of your week. Remember, we usually don't get to everything on the list. Keep it manageable and put the most important things at the top.
* Under-schedule your time: Leave time for the unexpected and for interruptions. When you estimate how long something will take, add on a third of that time.
* Bundle like tasks together.
* Look for hidden pockets of time - (waiting in line, subway rides, lunch breaks)
* Practice the art of intelligent neglect: Eliminate trivial tasks.
* Consider your biological prime time: At what time of day do you work best? Plan to do your most important work at that time.
* Learn to say no and set boundaries around your time.
* Where possible, ask for help and delegate.
* In the evening, revisit your to-do list for that day and acknowledge yourself for what you have accomplished. Forgive yourself if you didn't get to something. You're human. Review the next days list so that you can end your day with a clear head (this can help a lot with nighttime anxiety and sleep problems).
Make sure to examine the biggest hindrances to using time effectively: procrastinating and lacking purpose.
Procrastinating: We usually procrastinate when a task seems too daunting and complex and we feel we won’t be able to handle it. When you get that “deer in the headlights” feeling, try “chunking”: break the large task into smaller, manageable action steps and start with the first one.
Lacking purpose: We often drag our heels when we view a task as boring or uninspired. Stay connected to how even the most menial tasks help you accomplish your larger goal. I may hate the act of balancing my finances, but I love when I have saved responsibly and can go and buy some new clothes. (Confession: I really should never be buying new clothes... I have plenty... See future post on learning how to say no to yourself!)
As you strengthen your new time management muscle, be patient and play around! Good time management can be your ticket to greater satisfaction, increased effectiveness and a more peaceful and fun-filled life.
Share your thoughts on time-management and see some of my other posts at www.inwellness.blogspot.com
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Thank you for this great post Nora!
I for one do NOT like DST because my three young children (5 and under) are up before dawn now. One was up this morning at 5.30 and I am NOT a morning person as it is! I look forward to their little bodies getting used to the new time.
I'm pretty organized because I have to be. I run a really busy home with three young kids and work from home. Everyone complains that they have no time but we all have 24 hours in a day - and that's it. No more and no less for anyone. It's how we spend this time that matters. I'm often on the phone but also doing laundry and putting it all away at the same time. I can pay bills on line while responding to email and the old "multi-tasking" can really work as long as we don't overdo it. I think I'm so used to doing several things at one time now that I nearly feel lazy if I don't!
It's also important to take time to do nothing. Play piggy back with the kids and lie with them on the sofa, checking out the clouds flying by outside. We have huge windows up to the ceiling and on windy days it's great to lie on the sofa, looking up at the clouds racing across the blue sky. Have a coffee or glass of wine with our partners and catch up a bit. A hectic life doesn't allow for this and life is too short not to enjoy the fun things in life.
I keep a simple list on occasion but we have a desk calendar in the kitchen and everything that's on for the month, is clearly written on that day, with the time attached. I've no idea how we'd survive without it. It's also fantastic at tax time, when we see who has been out of the country and when, as my husband travels with his work.
And then we all have days when we're chasing our tails but that's part of a busy and great life!
And you are so right : good time management may seem like a bit of a rigid way to live, especially for me, who can be a bit flighty! But the irony is that good time management frees me up to fly a lot more than I could if I were drowning in chaos. Living in chaos can actually hold you a prisoner to your own life and take away a lot of spontaneity and fun.
Thanks for your post!
Hi Susan!
Thank you so much for your reply. So well said! Time management and structure does not come naturally to me either. I remember being so jealous of the kids at school with neat notebooks and who always had their assignments done several days before they were due!
Getting organized and managing my time has certainly been something I have had to work at, but as you said, doing so has actually created more room in my life for the fun organic stuff!
Good luck with your kids and the early rise!!!
Best, Nora
Hi Nora - Thanks for a really interesting post! I live in Arizona where we don't observe Daylight Savings Time, so I didn't get that extra hour. Glad you enjoyed yours, and thanks for sharing your perspective.
Take good care,
Pat
Hi Pat!
Thanks for your reply. Wow! No DST! That's cool. It's actually pretty interesting to read about the history of DST and why some states observe it and others don't.
Anyways, I am glad you enjoyed the post and look forward to connecting on future topics.
Best,
Nora
I will second the motion that I would rather not have DST. Most of the time, this doesn't bother me but this year it has been horrible. I am falling asleep at 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. each night since it is sooo dark already. I am usually in bed earlier but I usually stay up until at least 9:00 p.m, so this has taken a toll on my body this year.
I also hate that the sun disappears so early (sad face). I am a person who battles seasonal (winter) depression and I hate the bat times of the year. I have to workout diligently and even sun tan just to be able to function during this time of year. Please remind me that I chose Cleveland to live in and that it was a BAD idea.
Anyhow, thanks for the share Nora.