Tips To Manage Your Time

Do you feel that every bit of your day has to be filled, in order to feel you are making the best use of it? If you do, you’re not alone! I’ve lived most of my life feeling that way. But that is not the best way to manage your time.

This is what I found to help

Weigh the importance 

Now, more than ever, we live in a time that realizes that TIME is not something to fill, it’s something to experience. 

Yes, life is very demanding so don’t fill it with nonsense. You don’t have to get everything done on your to do list, today, and miss out on important moments in life.

Usually when I think about what I have to do for the week or the day, I like to write out everything and prioritize the most important tasks. Since I know I’m not going to get everything done. This allows me to leave room for my friends, family, and even time for me personally. 

By doing it this way, at least the most important things are done. And on others days that I may get done early, I can fill in what I didn’t get to from the day or week before. 

If you need help with prioritizing your to do list, go to my blog “How To Prioritize Important Tasks”. 

Create a to do list 

This is one of the most easiest, and effective ways to manage your time.

I know a lot of people who don’t like to write a list because it makes them feel confined or it overwhelms them. My husband is one of those people. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him make a list in the nine years that we have been married.

It truly is a mental thing. Even for a person like me who loves to write lists.

A list allows you to sort out what’s in your brain. Physically seeing what needs to be done will really put things into perspective. And you are less likely to forget something since it’s already down on paper.

In my blog, “How To Prioritize Important Tasks”, that I mentioned earlier, I go over some basics to help you make a list.

Multitask

When I was younger, I was the multitasking queen, or at least I felt like it! Now that I’m older, I’m not as effective. So I don’t try to balance everything at once like I used to.

I’ve read that multitasking is not necessarily the best thing to do, when you want to manage your time. It’s true! Doing multiple things at once makes you less accurate or efficient.

BUT….

There is a way to multitask that does allow you to be very efficient. Here’s an example.

Let’s make a mock list of things to do:

• Laundry
• Dishes
• Make the bed
• Prep for dinner

When looking at the list, I look for two things. One, something that I can start and while it’s doing its thing, I can do something else. Or two, what is going to take me to least amount of time.

So if we were to go with the first option, I would start with the laundry. I would put a load in and while it’s washing, then I’d start on the dishes. Most of us have a dishwasher, so simply putting them in and running it, just like your laundry, this will allow you to focus on something else, like making your bed.

By now, your clothes may be done, so all you have to do is just throw them in the dryer. While that load is drying, put a new one in and then you can move onto the very last thing on your list which is prep for dinner.

So as you can see multitasking, the correct way, allows you to work smarter, not harder.

Be realistic

When it comes to managing your time, this one goes hand-in-hand with the first tip, weigh the importance, at the beginning of this blog.

Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day. So don’t put unrealistic expectations on yourself to only set yourself up for failure.

Managing your time is not only about getting what you need done, done. It’s about effectively and realistically setting goals that are reachable. If not, you will add unneeded pressure and stress. Making you feel that you’re not in control, in turn making you feel like a failure because you didn’t accomplish what you wanted.

Time is precious. It keeps on going yet we never feel we have enough of it. So why not make the best use of it!