These days time can be even more valuable than money. Time is finite. There are only so many hours in a day and some of those should be allocated for sleeping. The ability to prioritize is so important, yet many of us struggle with deciding what has to be done verses what we wish we could do. It helps if we can think in terms of the here and now. What is most important for you to do today? What can you put off or simply not do today?
Using your time wisely
is something that can make your day go better. If you get overwhelmed, you
might have to say no to some activities. Turning down fun things is not ideal.
Saying no to people who you’d like to please is very difficult. If you learn
how to prioritize and budget time more effectively, you can learn to make time
for the things that are most important to you.
Multitasking is a
wonderful thing, however, there are people who try to do too much at once and
end up doing a poor job at everything. Tackling one job at a time can often be
a better use of time. There was a time when I was proud to be a great
multi-tasker. These days it feels more serene to focus on one activity at a
time.
Another issue is
overbooking and/or overpromising. Even with all the wonderful technological
advances, it’s still difficult to be two places at the same time. When we
over-commit, someone usually ends up disappointed or angry. Instead, teach
yourself (or ask for help in learning how) to better estimate realistic,
achievable daily goals. Make sure you assign enough time for each task on your
list and remember to add time for travel and any necessary stops along the way.
Waiting in line is
something that we have no control over and can eat up a substantial chunk of
time. Try to do things like grocery shopping, buying gas, going to the bank and
other chores when the businesses are not as crowded. Early mornings can be a
good time for grocery shopping. Parking is easier. Lines are shorter. You might
not feel like getting up early just to run errands, but you have to think about
the reward. You’ll have more free time later in the day!
This might sound simple,
but plan ahead. The bank might be on the way to the baseball field where you
have to drop your son. Driving somewhere and back home repeatedly instead of
doing everything in one trip, can waste time, gas and money.
Think about what you
need to do each day next week. Plan it out. You might say, “Wait a minute,
planning out my week is going to take time!” But after you have it planned, you
will use your time more efficiently and the planning will get easier week by
week.
Most bills can be paid
online. Several banks have both direct deposit and online banking. Going to the
bank may soon become obsolete. You can digitally set up monthly payments to
automatically come out of your account on a certain date. Using online banking
features can save time writing out checks every month. Just make sure you keep
track of what is going in and out of your account. Most banks have mobile
versions of their websites too, making banking very convenient no matter where
you are.
Time to get real… Admit
that you waste time – everyone does it. Figure out what wastes your time and
make an effort to do something constructive instead. Maybe instead of getting
lost in Facebook, you can take 5 minutes and unsubscribe from a few junk e-mail
lists. While you are waiting for your daughter at the doctor’s office,
you can read over some documents that came in the mail that you haven’t had
time to read at home.
Around the house, tackle
the little jobs before they grow into a monster-sized job that will overwhelm
you. Doing a load of laundry a couple nights a week instead of waiting until
you run out of underwear makes the task seem less daunting. Cleaning the
kitchen and bathroom more often will take less time than waiting until the crud
has built up everywhere.
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