I think we've all wanted more than 24 hours in a day at one point or another. The catch to this wish is that no matter how much time we have, we are always left with wanting more! The trick is learning to make better use of the time we have.
There are all sorts of books and professionals out there with detailed plans for time management. However, I'm going to share some of my personal strategies which seem to work best for me. Here's a quick excerpt from "Kim Beatty Time Management 101":
- Make your daily to-do list the night before you need it. It's easier to remember the things you need to do when you're not in a rush. This will also provide you with time to prioritize and/or organize the things you'd like to accomplish.
- Learn to multi-task in appropriate situations. If you get a phone call and you know you'll be on the line for a while, find an activity like sorting laundry to keep you busy while you chat. Waiting in a car for a child to finish a music lesson is a great time for balancing your checkbook. There are all sorts of small ways to increase your overall productivity!
- Find ways to reward yourself for completing your tasks. Try scheduling in some time for an activity you like that can be done when you've finished your other obligations. This can be something as simple as going for a short walk or reading a few pages from a favorite book. This strategy can be especially helpful when you're trying to complete a task you don't like, because it gives you something to look forward to :)
- Early to bed, early to rise. If my husband is reading this, he's probably laughing his head off. This is something I really struggle with - I'm a "night owl" and prefer to stay up late. However, if I look at most of the activities I participate in after 9 p.m., they're really not all that productive (watching TV, surfing the net). Going to bed sooner and getting up at an earlier time would definitely help me accomplish more each day.
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