This topic may not sound very sexy (although it is to me!) but it is definitely important. People often ask me how do I have enough time to do all the things I do. The answer is pretty easy: planning!
I am pretty lucky because with my job I get my full year schedule of on-call weeks and weekends I have to work all at one time. This allows me to plan ahead as much as I want to. A lot of people don’t have to worry about working nights or weekends, so there is even one less thing to worry about.
Many of my friends tell me they are not planners but it is really all in your mindset. If you are reading a blog about time management, I am guessing that you would like to use your time more efficiently. I promise once you get going with these tips, you won’t want to go back to not planning your time!
Tip #1 – Set a time to plan
I do all my major planning Sunday nights. This doesn’t mean you can’t schedule things any other time but I like having a set time where I am not coming home from a busy day at work to sit down and put things down on my calendar. I typically add or adjust things as I go during the week as well but everything major is usually already there.
I also set a time to plan things per month and even yearly! Monthly and yearly planning are less specific tasks and they include goals, projects, or events I would like to plan. If you haven’t read my post on bullet journals, please do! These leads me to tip #2…
Tip #2 – Choose your tools for planning
Choosing tools to organize my time brings me so much joy! Just ask my husband…My favorite time of the year is when I get to buy new supplies for my bullet journal. Whether you like Google Calendar, Outlook, any other electronic calendar, paper, or dry erase boards, you have to pick something. For some people, it starts as simple as a pad. I use several methods: my bullet journal, a mouse pad that has space for me to write my daily schedule, a wall calendar for the family, a dry erase board for meal planning, and outlook synced with my iPhone calendar and Google calendar (the last one is synced with my husband’s work calendar).
It is important to identify your time management needs and pick the tools that will make it easy to plan your time. I didn’t start out with all of these things but I just kept adding as I needed them and I love all of them.
Tip #3 – Make lists
Lists are everything! Give me a list with empty check boxes and everything on there gets done. There is something about checking off that little box that is very satisfying…oh, just me? I hope not! It is helpful to create lists, so you can keep track of everything that needs to get done. Look at the list when you are creating your weekly schedule. I also use the sections in my bullet journal that include my yearly and month look to remind me of what I want to accomplish long term as well.
Tip #4 – Be realistic about your time
If you plan to do a thousand things in a small amount of time, you will likely fail to complete all of them. It can be frustrating to not get things done and it might lead to not wanting to plan your time. I tend to schedule lots of extra time because I’ve realized life happens and you don’t always get to use all the time in the way you planned it. By planning extra time for the unexpected, you set yourself up for success.
Plan your day in chunks of time. I do this on my mousepad and give myself a set amount of time to do each task, attend meetings, go to clinic, work out, etc.
Tip #5 – Do what is important first
Do not get sucked into doing lots of things that are not productive. It is easy to make a list of small things to do and feel like you are checking things off but then not accomplishing anything. I typically write down a bunch of things I want done in a single day on my bullet journal and then make day schedules on my mousepad on Sunday nights.
When the specific day comes, I circle the things that have to get done. If something doesn’t get done, I move it to the next day. If it has a circle around it, I know it has to be done that day. My day schedule usually has chunks of time that are specific (finish notes, attend meeting) but sometimes, it also has ranges of time to get things done. If something most be done that day, I assign it its specific time.
Tip #6 – Don’t do other things
We are all guilty of checking email or getting on social media while doing something else. It is not easy to avoid it but I highly recommend setting specific times for answering emails, checking social media, and even looking at text messages or phone calls. This does not apply to texts or call that you need for work.
Tip #7 – Be kind to yourself
I almost never complete every task on my daily section of the bullet journal. This is why I budget lots of extra time to get things done. Having a monthly section to highlight which projects or tasks I want to absolutely finish is very helpful. I also don’t complete all my monthly goals either but I plan for this to be the case. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t complete every single thing you wrote down. Be efficient with your time and be purposeful, not busy. If you are completing the essential tasks you need to move you forward every day, you will succeed!
Tip #8 – Free time
This may sound weird but I schedule free time as well. This time can be used for anything and most of my weekends are free until I plan an activity into it. This means I don’t break up the day into timed sections the way I do my Monday through Friday. I do have things that have to get done every weekend, like food shopping, but I don’t assign a specific time. Those tasks go on my bullet journal but not on my daily schedule.
Some people also like to schedule their “self-care” time or down time. I don’t schedule that into my free time and just schedule whatever activity I am doing as that, for example, yoga or lunch with friends.
Having lots of free time built into my schedule allows for making easy plans with people. If someone tells me they want to hang out or set something up, I just look on my phone calendar and can quickly give dates.
Tip #9 – Delegate
One of the most powerful tools I have used to use my time more efficiently is to delegate anything I don’t have to do myself. I do this both at work and at home. I find that especially as a mom, it is tempting to just do all of it, but this is not sustainable. Not everyone will be able to delegate everything they would want to but you can always start small. If you live with a partner, have them help with folding laundry, clearing dishes, meal prepping, food shopping, bathing children, or whatever things in the home you need help with or dislike doing. Be aware of all the resources you have at work that can help you delegate. If you are self-employed, can you hire a virtual assistant?
There are many ways to delegate, so start thinking about what tasks you can give to someone else and free up some of your time.
Tip #10- Mindset is everything
Stop telling yourself you are not a planner. All you need is a piece of paper and a pen and you are good to go! It takes a little bit of time to develop a steady habit but you can get there if you keep doing it.
The other important part for me is to remind myself that I am living my life right now. When I was in residency, I was always telling myself, “just get through this 24 hour shift” or “just get through this week” and I still do that sometimes. If I have a busy week, I tell myself to just get through it. The truth is that this is my life right now. I don’t want to just get through it, I want to live it. As much as it feels like busy work sometimes, I try to remind myself that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing and I don’t need “to just get through it”.
Best of luck with your planning! Let me know what has worked for you when it comes to time management.