Time Management 101

Do you ever ask yourself how some people get so much accomplished? Do you ever look at people in your lives and see their schedule and feel exhausted just looking at it? Do you want to get more accomplished in the 24-hour day? We want to answer these questions and some of your time management questions in this blog.

Do you doom scroll? Do you spend a lot of time watching screens? Do you spend any time doing things that don’t help you move forward in your professional or personal life? We are asking these questions because they are some of the biggest wastes of time.  On average per ExplodingTopics.com adults spend about 6 hours a day on screens. Depending on your generation, it can be higher or lower. What could we do with 6 hours a day if we planned out our schedules? What could we accomplish? Could we write a book? Could we plan meals and prepare food? Here are 7 steps to maximizing your time.

#1. Schedule everything. Like you budget everything, schedule your daily life. Gym time, work, doctor’s appointments, kids’ music lessons, volunteering opportunities, household projects, etc. We all have 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a week. Your calendar will be full but it will also show you where your holes are so you can schedule the things you want to do too. Now you might say that sounds like it can be too much, and it can be sometimes, but I hate to waste time more than scheduling my days. Scheduling my day makes me feel more productive and less wasteful. 

#2. Be willing to say no. Sometimes we want to make everyone happy by saying yes but it’s not a mentally healthy decision for us. Know your limits and commit to what you know you can do and do it well. We go by a saying in our home, half-apple in place of half-a**ed. If you know you are going to half-apple it, then don’t commit to it.

#3. Be willing to say yes to things that help you move forward professionally and personally. When we say yes, we open ourselves to possibilities and opportunities that can grow and develop us. 5 years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to be on the show “Hoarders”. When I initially talked to my husband about it, I shared all the reasons why I couldn’t do it because of my schedule and he said, “we can take care of all those things, you should do it”. I said “yes” and participated in the show for the next 5 seasons. It grew me as a professional and as a person. I was also blessed to meet some amazing people from the crew and families all over the country. Thankful I said “yes”.

#4. Write down manageable to-do lists. Have you ever seen lists that have 10, 20 or more tasks on it? That is too many tasks to handle in one day. You want to break it down into more manageable lists. Consider prioritizing the list and doing the most time sensitive items first. When we go into a client’s home, we leave them with no more than #5 items on their to-do list. You want to feel success early and often because it will help you keep going.

#5. Monotasking is king. Take on one task at a time. It’s more important to get a task completed than it does to start 3 tasks and not accomplish anything. Monotasking is more effective for productivity and quality of work. You lose 40% of productivity when you multitask according to the American Psychological Association. So, stick to one task at a time and get more accomplished in the time allotted.

#6. Enjoy all the moments, even the smallest ones. Yes, we have a lot to do. Yes, we are busy parents and business owners. Yes, we have full schedules but if there is something our family has learned over the years it is to enjoy the small moments. Enjoy the time in the car with your child taking them to ballet. Enjoy waiting in the car pick-up line at school with other parents and get to know them. Enjoy your kids’ sporting events and concerts. Find joy and enjoy.

#7. Minimize and Eliminate distractions. When you know you have tasks to accomplish, make sure you turn your phone notifications off. Don’t answer text messages or phone calls. Let your family know you need to stay focused on a task. Set a timer so you can stay focused until the timer goes off.

Time is a commodity that we cannot get back and is something that is wasted most. Conserve your time. Maximize your time. Use time wisely. Plan, manage, and enjoy your time well.