By Jennifer Hearne
We all can agree it’s easy to lose track of time and miss a deadline, forget a meeting or allow household chores to pile up. Poor time management makes us miss out on the extra things in life that spark joy as we spend valuable time catching up. As a wife, mother and entrepreneur, I’ve adjusted the way I view daily tasks in order to complete them easily and efficiently — thus making more time for my family and my home.
HERE’S SOME TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME:
First, determine how you will document and manage your tasks. Grab a pen and a calendar or notebook to keep track of your schedule. Also, devices like a smart watch, tablet, or phone, can be used as a time-management tool. If you find yourself overwhelmed with chores and tasks with no time requirements, set a timer. Utilize your phone for reminders, lists and deadlines by using the built-in assistant. Speak a command to remind you of a task or activity or start a timer; it’s that simple.
Whatever method you use to stay on track, I encourage you to follow three simple steps each day: prioritize, organize, and improvise. The simplest way to plan your day is to create a checklist of all your daily tasks. I find it helpful to rank each task by priority, or even by time of day that the tasks should be accomplished. If tasks do not have a specific deadline, list those last.
Once you have determined which tasks must be accomplished and ranked them by importance, assign them time windows. As you complete this step, you will see more clearly what time you have open to schedule downtime and non-essential tasks. Give yourself a time buffer for for any task that you can’t estimate exactly how long it will take. If you have difficulty finding extra time to fit everything in, refer to your priority list a second (or third) time and re-evaluate.
If something unexpected arises or another task runs late, don’t fret — improvise. Remember that you allowed yourself extra time and made a list of items that were not urgent. Remove or delay one of those extra tasks.
If you utilize the three steps mentioned above, you will use your time more wisely and may even create a little extra free time. If you can’t get to everything and have to put off non-essential tasks here and there, give yourself grace and be satisfied knowing that you completed the most necessary items.
Jennifer Hearne is the owner and designer of Pixel Pop Designs, as well as marketing director for Chick-fil-A Edgewater Mall and marketing director and designer for Southern Taters: A Small Town Smock Company.