Time-management is one of my favorite topics of all time. It can be applied to any area of your life and its only goal is to make your life better. Many folks are scared of time-management. People are often asking me how I can be so organized. Often, this question is followed by a comment like, “I can’t do that” or “I am not that type of person.” Before I get into the actual mistakes, let me remind you that you can be any type of person you want!
If the way you are spending your time is not working for you, I encourage you to decide right now to become a person that is good at time management. I promise you anyone can do this with practice. You may not be good at it the first time, or second, or third, you get the idea….but eventually you will be! Once you become the person that is good at time management, it will be an easy process and you won’t be able to understand how you ever lived differently.
Time management may look different for different people, so play around with methods that work for you. The mistakes I am about to share apply to all types of time management. Keep reading to the end for a bonus tip!
Mistake #1 – the giant to-do list
You may be asking yourself – what is this lady talking about? Many people swear by their lists, especially when they can check things off. I am here to tell you that making a very long to-do list without assigning specific times to each task is one of the easiest ways to become frustrated with time management and believe you are not good at it. We are always accumulating endless lists of things that need to be done. We also have lists of things we want done or dream of doing. By specifically choosing time frames for each task, you are committing to completing them. Otherwise, it is very easy to wake up and see the list but not be sure of when to do what. I have plenty of earlier blog posts about planning if you want some tips on how to start organizing your time. I find that if I just make a list, the low hanging fruit things get checked off and anything urgent or due that day but not necessarily the projects I really want to be doing but require more steps or work. I am not saying to not make a list at all but to be sure that you are also picking a time frame of when things will be completed.
Mistake #2 – overbooking
I am definitely guilty of this one and have been working hard at not doing it! I break down my entire day into sections and assign all my tasks for the day into one of them. I tend to list a few more things that realistically can be done, which then lead to frustration with myself for not doing all the things I planned on doing. I particularly do this with my “me time” after kids go to bed. I may choose to read a book, journal, complete a module of a course I am taking, and meditate but also want to go to bed by 10:30 pm after finishing bed time at 9:15 pm. Either not everything gets done or I end up in bed at 11:30 pm. I am getting better at not overdoing it but this is still a work in progress for me. I am being kind to myself when I notice I did it again and make a note of how to do it better next time.
Mistake #3 – not planning during downtime
It is very easy to make poor choices when we are tired, hungry, or have screaming children in our faces at the end of the day. I like to make my plan for the week on Sunday nights after my kids are asleep. I don’t usually have clinic on Mondays, so I can work from home, which means I can wake up a little later than usual. This works well for me since I am nice and relaxed. I try to make the choices that align with using my time most efficiently and with my goals of completing certain tasks, eating healthy, working out, and getting good sleep. Once the week gets going, it is easy to lose sight of these goals and pick up not-so-healthy take out at the end of a busy day, for example. I know I can trust my chill, Sunday night mind to make those good decisions ahead of time for me. Now, this may be different for you. Perhaps Sunday nights are crazy and jam-packed prepping for the week and you don’t want to plan at that time. Figure out what works for you, whether it is every night for the next day or waking up early to do this. The key is to make sure you have planned ahead and have eliminated as many decisions to be made throughout the busy week as possible.
Bonus tip – goal setting!
I did not start doing this until a few years ago but seriously, if you are not setting goals for yourself, then it is hard to know where you are going! I have a section in my calendar where I write my goals and priorities every month. I also journal about yearly goals as well as 5-and 10-year plans at least once a year. Your goals can be anything, work, family, gardening, whatever your heart desires!
Comment below with any other time-management mistakes you can think of or any good tips!