Time Management

Can you guess the theme of today's post? See, I have already wasted about three seconds of your day to ask a question that we both already knew the answer to. As well as another five seconds explaining it. OK, enough. Yes, today's post is about time management. It seems a lot of people like the idea of managing their time better (who wouldn't?) but, most people either, don't go about it the right way or, don't know how to go about it. I am here to offer my knowledge and tips and tricks on this subject. 

Make a daily schedule.
Start with a blank sheet of paper and write down all of the hours you are awake in a day. Leave spaces in between the time slots to fill in what you need to be doing or have finished by that time. I would recommend making a couple of different versions of your daily schedule based on, days off, weekends, etc. You also want to make sure you are not booking yourself to tight. Leave room for mishaps or a case of the Mondays. We all know they will happen.

Get a planner.

Once you have your daily routine down, it will become habitual. You will find that you do not have to refer back to your daily schedule as often. You do want to save them though in case you fall off the wagon. The next step would be to get a planner. The options are truly limitless here. There are monthly, weekly, and daily planners of all types that you are sure to find the one that works best for you. For instance, if your schedule stays pretty consistent, maybe a monthly planner is for you to plan trips and dates and such. Likewise, if you are a student, you may find that a weekly or even daily planner works best because of your schedule changes. Also, if you are a tech-y, you can always use your phone as your planner. It is personal preference really. Personally, I prefer to actually write down my schedule and "pencil things in" rather than put something in my phone. The important thing is to find what works best for you.

Knowing what to schedule.

This is where things can get tricky. Everyone is different and knowing what you will actually remember and what you won't, is based on the individual. For me, I will remember when I have a lunch date with my dear Aunt but, cannot remember to drop a letter in the mailbox. I would say to start off big and write down everything. As you get used to planning, you will find out what you do not need to write down and what you need to write down, and highlight, and circle. 

Avoid clutter.

When it comes to planning and time management, the biggest enemy is clutter. If you have a planner that is full of event programs, or tickets, or loads of unnecessary stickers, chances are, your time is probably not being utilized as efficiently as it could be. It can be helpful for some people to color code their planners. Especially for students who may have a variety of different events in one week or even a day. Just make sure you know the color code and try not to use anymore than 5 different colors. As far as stickers go, I never use these in my planner but, they may be helpful for birthdays, anniversaries or holiday events. The preference is yours but try not to go overboard. Avoid clutter.

Just do it.

(I wasn't sure if I should have that line trademarked or not but, since I am not talking about sneakers, I think I am OK.) This is my last tip: if you have a task or job that you really would rather not do, just do it! There is no sense in putting something off until the last minute when you know it needs to be completed in the first place. Honestly, I would rather get it out of the any instead of spending my day thinking about it and dreading it.  Not to mention, if you get the difficult or boring stuff out of the way first, think about the satisfaction you will feel once it's complete. 

I hope that you found these tips to be helpful. If you have any additional tips or strategies you use to better manage your time, please share and, list them below. Also, if you have any questions about schedules or planners, you can also list those below. Let's all take control of the time that we have! 

Choose to make today great! xo

-Jessica