Everyone gets the same amount of hours in a day. Some people, however, manage to do more with their 24 hours. How is it possible? Learn how you can also start saving time for the things you love the most.
Not having time for all the responsibilities can cause anxiety and stress.
The pressure only grows as the expectations increase every day.
Now, women don’t have only their home and children to look after:
- They work.
- Some are responsible for the education of their children (homeschooling)
- They exercise.
- They have hobbies.
These are all achievements we fought for throughout the years, and that makes us all proud.
Yet, there’s the other side of the story: all this has to happen within the hours of the day.
In addition to the responsibilities, there are also other things that are even or more important.
Combining it all in one day, without losing your soul or having a burnout, isn’t easy.
How to solve the puzzle then?
Things you love
Life isn’t only about work.
Finding balance isn’t just a nice-to-have.
Our physical and mental health depends on it.
If you want to have energy to fulfill all your responsibilities, you must also think of yourself.
When I ask my clients what the essential things in their life are, I frequently hear:
- family
- love
- health
- friends
It’s not a surprise that they are all aspects of their personal life.
I’m not implying that their career isn’t important to them. But what moves them, and what probably moves you as well, are the things and people outside the workplace.
To be able to enjoy life fully, without neglecting your responsibilities, it’s necessary to find a realistic solution.
Tracking time
Since we cannot add extra hours to our day, one of the answers to stress management is saving time.
It might not be clear to you right now, but I’m sure you have much more time on your hands than you think. And the reason why you can’t see it today is due to a lack of visibility.
To be able to save time, you must know how you have been spending it.
Just by asking yourself what you have done lately isn’t enough.
You know what you did, but maybe you don’t have a clear picture of:
- The amount of time you spend doing things.
- How much of your day is productive.
- How many hours you waste.
- All the small tasks you do almost by automatism.
In my course Planning For Productivity, I go more into detail about the strategies you can use to map your day and quick-wins to become more productive.
Here, I’ll focus on one of these steps: time tracking.
One of the things that bothers me the most is when I hear people say that everything “only takes 5 minutes.”
I’m sure you have heard it too, or maybe you have the habit of saying it yourself.
It’s such a dangerous statement!
Wasting time
My reason to say that is because it shows people don’t have a clue of how they spend their time or how much of it they waste on a regular basis.
Very few things in your day take only 5 minutes or less:
- Deleting an email.
- Writing down a note.
- Sipping water.
- Checking to-do list.
- Scanning a document.
Other activities you might think to take as much of your time probably can steal hours of your day.
Some of them being:
- Checking your social media.
- Surfing on the Internet.
- Browsing TV channels.
- Picking an outfit.
- Getting your hair done.
Because we live in a racing world in which the myth of multitasking still applies to many, without realizing it, you live feeling overwhelmed, stressed and burned out. And they might be the results of bad planning.
To help you get started, I created an easy to use time-tracking sheet you can download FOR FREE in my Library.
I want you to be able to visualize your day instead of trying to guess where your time is going to.
And, most importantly, it’ll help you identify your productive tasks and your time wasters.
How to set yourself up for success with time management. #coaching #mentorship #MindfulPlanning Click To TweetSaving time
After using the time tracking sheet, you’ll know where and how you’ve been using well or wasting your time. Then, you’ll be able to start saving time.
3 ways you can save time in your day for the things that you love are:
- Work in bulk
- Stay organized
- Control your overindulgences
1. Work in bulk
One of the results of your time tracking is finding out that you have been doing certain things over and over again.
It can be:
- Cooking the same ingredients daily.
- Reading your emails frequently.
- Checking social media way too much.
To solve it, set a fixed time for these activities and develop a batch process to get them done efficiently.
2. Stay organized
Build the habit of preparing things beforehand. It’s a very simple but effective way to stay organized.
For example, pick your outfit for the following day before going to bed.
Even if you are a morning person who wakes up early full of energy, you can still use your first minutes of the day for more productive tasks.
Another option is having your shopping list always accessible.
You can save a lot of time by adding items right away while cooking, for example. It’s also great to save money as you won’t be buying too much or getting things you don’t immediately need.
3. Control your overindulgences
Bloggers and entrepreneurs have to deal with a lot more than their writing and business. Social media is a must for them, as well, for instance.
While you should share your content with the world whenever you can, too much of a good thing is still too much.
You don’t have to check your Twitter or Facebook accounts every 5 minutes to stay updated or reply your clients. And Pinterest, which can be an excellent source of inspiration, shouldn’t be a priority, though.
By keeping your social media time under control, you can save time to spend with things and people you love.
Super easy tips to help you manage your time efficiently. #coaching #mentorship #MindfulPlanning Click To TweetGetting started
Grab my time-tracking sheet today and start analyzing your day.
Your time is precious and you must start using it wisely.
Before you go
Can you answer the following question in the comments below, please?
Have you ever tried tracking how you spend your time?
