Would you say it is safe to say that in today’s world, we are all looking for ways to manage our time better? While we can’t make the days any longer, we do get to decide for the most part how we plan our day. You may have items you have to complete on a given day, but there is probably no one telling you they must be done in exactly this order or this way.
Why You Want to Manage Your Time
So, while you may not get to dictate what needs done, you might get to dictate the how (and this can make a HUGE difference). We all know there are people who can take a simple task and stretch it to fill the day. There are other people who can get the same task done in less than 20 minutes. The difference between the two (aside from motivation) is usually the tactics they used to get the job done efficiently or not. And, thankfully, we can all learn tactics.
The idea of managing your time is important from a self-care standpoint because women usually have a million things on their plate. The job of deciding how to get it all done and still have something left at the end of the day for your family or just you is key.
Time Management Techniques
There are so many books and products on the market you may not know where to begin. Here is a list to help you decide what needs done in a day and ways to make that process go faster. Any saved time is time you can spend on things you want to do either with or without your family!
Books on How to Manage Your Time
Time Management from the Inside Out, Second Edition: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule — and Your Life by Julie Morgenstern – This book is great for people who want to figure out their own individual ways they either procrastinate or sabotage their time management efforts. She teaches you how to harness your strengths to find a system that works for you. She also has an excellent book on organizing titled “Organizing from the Inside Out”.
Master Your Time, Master Your Life: The Breakthrough System to Get More Results, Faster, in Every Area of Your Life by Brian Tracy – Tracy has a lot of books on techniques for time management and focus. In this one, he helps you prioritize the different areas of your life and the time spent in each one to be most effective.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen Covey – This book is a classic for a reason. He helps you understand the why behind time management and how it can change your life based on where you place your efforts.
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss – Ferriss’s book absolutely captivated me from the beginning. While it may not be possible for everyone to have a four hour workweek, the concepts he teaches can help you to make the most of your work and play time.
Planners to Manage Your Time
The books listed above are great at giving you tactics and strategies. The paper planners listed below help you to put those strategies into action on a daily basis. Believe it or not, paper planners are an incredibly useful tool even in this digital age.
Passion Planner Pro Dated Jan-Dec 2019 – Goal Oriented Daily Agenda, Appointment Calendar, Reflection Journal – (B5) Sunday Start (Radiant Rose Gold) This planner helps you take your biggest passion in life and weave it into your daily and weekly life. Click the link above to see a neat video overview of how it works. It is a combination journal/planner and very cool.
Clever Fox Planner The Best Agenda & Daily Calendar to Boost Productivity, Happiness & Hit Your Goals – Gratitude Journal Personal Weekly Organizer – 5 x 8” Undated – PINK This planner is inexpensive, yet it lets you map out your goals in key areas and mind map ideas of ways to achieve them.
Living Well Spending Less Planner This planner is great for the Moms out there. It lets you plan your meals, a big goal for each month and includes a monthly budget tracker. All of this on top of the normal weekly/monthly time tracking. Very cool!
Tools to Manage Your Time
Here are some ideas to help you manage your time at home or on the go. They include:
Trello – App and Software
The Trello App is a good tool to manage your time when you are working with a group. This video shows the Trello app being used for teams. However, this same thought can easily be applied to families. This app is great for tracking big projects and where you are at with them. Or taking a big goal and breaking it up visually into many smaller steps to make sure it happens.
Pomodoro Technique and the Tomato Timer
Another tool to manage your time is the Pomodoro Technique. This method of time management was developed by Francesco Cirillo. To use the Pomodoro Technique, you work in 25 minute intervals on one thing and then you take a short break. Then, you repeat this process. This is handy for any task you keep putting off. It is amazing what you can get done if you just start and tell yourself I’ll work on this for 25 minutes. You may not even stop to take a break, but you know you have that to look forward to so it makes it easier to keep going. If you want to try it, click on this link for the tomato timer. Pretty neat, don’t you think?
What Would Work Best for You?
So, what is your favorite time management tip/hack/idea? Please leave a message in the comments below. If you liked this article, you might also like these articles in the Make Life Easier series:
- What to Wear – Easy Fashion
- Easy Meals – What to Eat
- Are Your Finances a Mess? How to Manage Your Money
If you want to know how to break down a big goal into manageable chunks, please see the article “How to Achieve Your Goals, a Step by Step Guide”.
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While you are here, make sure you grab your copy of the "Self-Care Mini-Guide" to help you figure out how to add self-care to your daily life. Just click the link Loveselfcare Self-Care Mini-Guide to download your guide!
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