5 Tips for Time Management
It’s day 5,895 of our “new normal.” Maybe you’re wondering how to truly maintain a sense of routine or learning to give yourself space to rest. Whatever boat you’re in, I encourage you to continue to do what’s best for you. I have been doing my own type of personal organizing when it comes to structuring my time and investments in self. It is my hope that it helps you as well.
Let’s get into it —
Tip 1: Establish a morning routine
Who has said “I wish there were more hours in the day?” And then –BOOM! COVID-19. No one could have truly predicted the magnitude of how it would alter our daily lives and routines. It seems as though some of us have been granted the privilege of having more time on our hands. I’ve personally used this opportunity to ENHANCE my morning routine. I block out time to workout, journal, eat breakfast and call a loved one. Journaling wasn’t something I was used to doing and I also wasn’t very intentional about talking to those I love as frequently. Having something as simple as this in place is not always about “getting the most done”. Establishing a routine allows you to really be a part of your beginning moments of the day. It sets the tone for those other tasks you will set out to accomplish. It grounds you in confidence, yields peace and the right mindset to handle what will happen with your mind, body, and spirit during the course of a day.
Tip 2: Identify the most important and urgent task and do it first
I’m taking this note out of Eisenhower’s Model. If you want to dive deeper, I encourage you to read up on it on your own.
A brief synopsis goes like this: We tend to focus too much on unimportant urgent matters. Urgency takes into account how immediately you will be dealing with the consequence of not tending to a particular matter.
So, ask yourself — did I leave this task until the last minute or was I unable to foresee this happening. Asking yourself these questions will help plan better in the future as well as making sure we are tackling urgent AND important matters first.
AND believe, we are working through this together.
Tip 3: Work from a calendar, not a to-do list
Although making sure we complete important and urgent tasks has some of its roots in creating to-do lists, it’s important that we limit how many choices we have so that we are able to make decisions regarding tasks more efficiently. I like a detailed list just like the next person, but a calendar forces my hand. In using my calendar, I don’t over commit or overwhelm myself with too much. Calendars can allow you to see how much time things will actually take as well as the resources and materials you will need.
Tip 4: Overcome Procrastination — create systems that don’t allow for it
I constantly have to bring myself back to the “why.” Why am I procrastinating but more importantly why do I continue to put forth the effort to not only make sure I’m doing what’s best for myself but also to make sure I am helping YOU.
Small things that begin to make a huge difference with this for me fall in the “taking care of home” category. Every 5 days or so, I do laundry. This makes piles smaller and gives me less clothes to fold. Or what about that kitchen? I know after eating dinner I don’t want to go back in to clean. I clean as I cook and it always saves time. This way, once dinner is ready I don’t have much to clean. And before I eat, I clean the rest or load the dishwasher. Why do this? To not irritate myself. Seriously — because getting it done then brings me a great deal of accomplishment. A small feat like this can be easily applied in areas such as tackling larger projects.
Tip 5: If it will take 5 minutes or less, do it NOW
It’s simple, right? Do what it says. Seriously. You have 4 other tips that can help us to readily conquer this 5 minute task.
Is there something you can get done in 5 minutes? Today? Can you make your bed? Listen to your kids? Drink a glass of water? Vacuum one room? There’s still time in your day to accomplish something. I believe in you.
