One week to better time management

 

Time Management

What does it really mean?

I realized (again) this past week that some people just don’t have a natural knack for “managing” their time.  What we spend our days doing needs to matter.  Whether you’re a CEO overseeing a large company, or a Stay at home mom cleaning toilets.  Time is important.  And how we use our time is of the utmost importance.

Monday:
Make a list of everything you have to get done in a week. 
Errands (Grocery shopping, Pharmacy, Warehouse store, etc);
Cleaning/Chores (laundry, meal prep, by room, category, etc);
Work tasks (emails, meetings, prospecting, research, marketing);
Family (taxi service, Dr. appointments, school expectations, etc);
Fun time (exercise, beach, gardening, ball games, etc). 

Tuesday:
Estimate about how much time each item will take you to complete. 
Not sure?  Time yourself next time you clean up the kitchen.  It may not be as daunting of a task as you think!

Is there anything on your list that you are doing that is unnecessary?  Prioritize what you are doing with your time.  Cross off the things you can part with.

Decide if there is anything you can outsource to someone else.  What work items can you delegate to an assistant?  Can your husband do all of the yard work without you?  Would a neighborhood teenager be able to run your errands or help with homework?  Will the babysitter fold your laundry or help with meal prep?  Can you swap childcare/cleaning services with another mommy friend? 

Wednesday:
Create a spreadsheet like the one below (or use a regular old sheet of paper and a pen).
Write the days of the week across the top and 30 min time increments down the left margin. 
Now plug in all of the items from your list you made on Monday (of things you do in a week).

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
7
7:30
8
8:30
9
9:30
10
10:30
11
11:30
12
12:30
1
1:30
2
2:30
3
3:30
4
4:30
5
5:30
6

Thursday:
Follow your plan.  Realize where changes need to be made.  Be flexible.  Work towards your goal of completing your tasks each day. 

Friday:
Keep working towards your plan.  Adjust.  Challenge yourself to stick to your plan next week.

These are simple steps, but will take some getting used to.  Realize that this is not set in stone and there will be changes (sick child, meeting time moved, emergency appointments, cancellations).  Change is a part of life.  But now there is a framework in place to deal with the things that occur on a regular basis.  Keep moving forward and you will be able to achieve your goal. 

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and need help with decluttering and setting up some new systems this Spring, contact me. 
Email: juliebavi@gmail.com  
Facebook: by clicking HERE or by searching for Organize With Julie. 
Stalk me on Twitter: @juliebavi.