For many of us, choosing the not “normal” path time is short. We are busy folks, with long to-do lists and even longer lists of projects we hope to tackle. Its imperative that we maximize our time while not allowing ourselves time to play and relax too. Time management, is one of those things, that varies for each person and what works for Sandy might not work for Jill and vice versa. However, there are few things that most anyone can implement in their own fashion to make life run more smoothly so that more projects can be tackled.
- Project Notebook/Calendar/Planner/Blackberry - Some sort of time management system is extremely helpful. This varies for every person, but having one place that keeps track of every appointment, errands, to-do lists, shopping lists, birthdays, holidays, etc. is essential. Knowing that you have one notebook or calendar to consult at the beginning of each day instead of hunting in three different places as well as the calender on the refrigerator and daughter Karen’s desk calender too, will make life much easier. Make that planner or notebook your life line. Take it with you every where you go and keep everything in it. It make take a little while to make this routine, but in the end it will take less time to figure out your day, week, month, year. Mark things like first and last frost dates, birthdays, keep a section for to-do lists, grocery lists, and everything else that you need. You can buy calendar pages or print them out for free.
- Everything has a place and everything in its place -Just like grandma always said. Its much easier to keep things put away in their proper place, than it is to hunt for them later. When you’re done using something put it back in the same place every time. Make it a habit and you’ll never have to hunt for something for minutes or hours on end again. Train other family members to do the same, by instituting a fine system when something’s not put back correctly. The fine can be as little as a nickel or dime for each item misplaced, that money is then used for date night for mom & dad. Or a massage for mom…
- Idle hands are the devil’s playground - You should absolutely plan time for rest, but also remember that its okay to watch a movie and do some knitting or embroidery at the same time if you so desire.
- Keep a meal plan - It’s okay to change your meal plan if you desire or something comes up. However, having something written down each week will save you time and money, because there’s never any doubt. The meal plan will also alert you to things that need done, like taking the chicken out of the freezer, or making rice.
- Make time for fun & rest -Be sure you manage your time to include fun and rest. Without some time to de-stress and have some fun, little else will get accomplished because you’ll be too burned out.
- Be realistic -When you’re planning your days, be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day. If you’ve got two toddlers in diapers, you’re probably unlikely to accomplish as much as the person with no children. Don’t expect yourself too, either. Set your days around what is doable without stress and learn to be okay with that. As your life changes and grows you may find you can fit in more or less, learn to accept yourself and your life as it is. In the end, this will help you more than most any other time management tip.
What’s your best time management tip? What advice would you give someone struggling to manage the details of daily life and still have time to enjoy life?
I’ve tried to keep a meal plan, but I can never stick to it. I’m more of a feeling cook. What I feel like is what I cook. We eat tons of leftovers since there are only 2 of us. With a pantry and freezer full of preserved goodies I can whip up pretty much whatever I want.
I keep a calendar on my wall with all my important dates, Mr Chiots has one on the computer that also links to my computer so I know all his stuff.
I need to work on taking more time off. I find myself sitting at my computer working most of the time (that’s the problem when you work at home). Even when I take time to read I’m often reading something that pertains to my blog or gardening or cooking. Perhaps some Steinbeck will fit the bill, oh how I love his writing!
We have been doing meal planning for over a year now and love it. We don’t always stick to it and sometimes trade days (like last week when I forgot to soak beans for chili so we had it a day later). I try to incorporate any left overs into the meals for the rest of the week. For example, if I’m roasting a chicken I know that later in the week we will have soup from the stock as well as chicken meat in something else.
We also have a huge dry erase calendar hung on the wall. It is the ‘master of all knowledge’. It is color coded with everyone’s events (and sometimes chores) for the month. That way no one can say “I didn’t know you had that going on…” I keep my own personal calendar with me when I’m out and about.
I’m the person who loses the planner. Whose blood pressure zooms skyward the more regimented my To Do list gets, etc. I deal with this and other organizational things by having a wall calendar for MUSTS…doc visits, birthdays (sometimes), events, travel. I make handwritten lists for the week, or smaller things like the day’s errands, a list of supplies or groceries I need, etc. But I keep it very simple. For meals, having a decent stockpile of dry goods and freezer items has significantly cut down on the stress of meals. Sometimes I plan them out, and other times I assess what I have, get a few meals in mind for the week, and may scribble them down on a scrap of paper and post it on teh fridge to jog my mind. Bills get done at a weekly time by my husband, and the times we’re together, our conversations naturally run to what we hope to each accomplish that week/day, etc. Since we have Friday night and Saturday day each week to do no kind of work or planning, Friday night is usually our cutoff point to have that week’s things finished. If he and don’t concur on some things beforehand, it doesnt matter too much how I try to organize…we have to mesh our plans or it all falls to pieces. Plus we really like doing as many things as possible (errands, etc) together as we can. Maybe not as productive sometimes, but a good fit for us and we enjoy it.
Wonderful thoughts. I tend to do quite a bit in the way of meal planning, but at the same time I am very loose about it. What I mean is that I never go with a list or planned meals for the whole week ahead of time. Yes, I’ll get my food storage/preservation set early, so I “shop from my stores” this time of year. In the warmer months I’ll shop from the garden, CSA, or farmers’ market…. but I don’t go in with a list or plan to buy. Instead, I get whatever is fresh and looks good. If I intended to get X lbs carrots, but they look perfect that day in the garden/CSA, I’ll get much more, and store/preserve them. Same with cooking this time of year – I choose dinner by what needs to be used first so as not to waste. Much like what Chiot’s Run described.
I do make sure to keep a set time for each task during the week. That way, when its Sunday morning after breakfast, it becomes natural as the time to do the laundry. Monday morning, that’s the time to write checks. And so on. Not only does this keep me on track so tasks don’t pile up, but it becomes a built-in reminder system and organizational method. Building it into as a habit works for me.
The other thing that works fits into the “everything in its place” – back to the habit thing. Ever since I was little, it was built into me that e.g. keys go into this particular container on the side table, this particular pot lives in the cabinet here, on the right side. Extra pencils are always in that closet on the third shelf. I can tell anyone who asks where a particular thing is down to the inch.
What I need to work on is separating parts of my life a bit, and trying to work time management into that with times for fun and relaxing. Like Chiot’s Run said, I often end up working from home and spending more time than I would like in front of the computer. With my work, it never ends so that there is always the chance to keep working from one day to the next. But with managing time, I need to figure out what to move to the next day and how to prioritize within the scope of tasks…. case work and briefs always continue and can always be refined, but one might be better able to be moved to tomorrow morning, rather than pressing on tonight. And what needs to be done, and recognizing what might not be so “necessary” so that I can make time and give myself permission for “guilt free rest” when appropriate.
Outside chores seem to just happen on their own (I think everything is easier to do outside, but that’s because I HATE being cooped up indoors). I have a real problem letting little, mundane things get away from me though. With the exception of diapers, which I will notice *real fast* if they do not get done, laundry could stack up for weeks around here and I wouldn’t notice, if I didn’t make it a point to do a load every day.
Likewise, I have to stay on top of myself every single day to do the dishes and whatnot, using little timelines in my head. For instance, if I haven’t started dinner by the time I take the dog out the third time that day, I’d better hop to it. Having a “day” set aside for everything, like they did in the Little House on The Prairie books (I love those books!), also helps me stay on task. I know it isn’t terribly helpful to anyone else, but it’s what I do!
I live by lists, so a planner is a must for me.
One little thing that Ito that makes my life soooo much easier (this helps with keeping those dishes done too), is to plan 15 minutes before bedtime, and go from room to room and deal with putting things away, picking up, etc. What I usually find is that it doesn’t take that long (of course, there’s just two of us now, so it shouldn’t). But it makes a huge difference, things don’t pile up and take more of your time later.
Me I’m a list maker and a calender planner. I tend to think about things months before it’s time come up with a general plan and sort the details as the event comes closer.
I tend to do the same chores on the same day at the same time, with the little extras in between.
There are some great tips here and I do follow most of them with the exception of planning meals. Just can’t get into the swing of it…
Karyn