Own Your Time
Do you ever feel as though there aren’t enough hours in the day? Do you ever feel as though you’re running out of time?
But what if it’s not time that’s the problem? What if it’s how we manage the time we have?! I realize most often that I’m not organizing my time properly when I’m cutting it too close for comfort to a deadline - even if that deadline is of my own making. I make sure to plan my week and fill my diary the weekend before (usually on my day of rest) so that I am somewhat prepared for the week ahead and know what I intend to do. Most often I’ve tried to cram in too many things into one day, so I know to always leave at least one day very loosely planned to fit in all the loose ends or projects that I didn’t even get to in the previous days.
The question is, why don’t we get to do those things that we’ve planned? Sometimes, I confess, it’s over-cramming things, or not leaving enough space for other activities and so there’s inevitably a spill-over, so I don’t get annoyed at myself. But sometimes it is about procrastination - it’s about putting something else as a priority when in fact it’s not...maybe it’s a matter of getting priorities straight and being realistic.
Let’s face it, we always feel better when we’ve ticked off everything in our to-do list, or we’ve completed a project, done everything we really needed to do, and also had time to wind-down and take care of ourselves for a little bit - so why aren’t we more realistic on a day-to-day basis?
These are a few things which have helped me, so hopefully they can help you plan your weeks and days with more balance too!
Get your priorities straight
It’s never just about time, there’s always more of a reason when there’s a gap between what you say (or intend) to do and what you end up doing.
Check how you’re spending your time and be honest with yourself - if your time is being taken up by social media or watching a movie or a series, and it’s getting in the way of you doing what you’ve planned, see how you can go about things differently.
Going about things differently might mean listening to music or a podcast, whilst doing the chores or anything which you’ve been putting off, then you can sit down and scroll through or see that episode knowing you’ve done what you wanted. I simply hate it when I end up sabotaging myself - what a ridiculous thing to do, when it just takes some thought, some patience and attention.
This is why it’s vital to see what you are actually committed to, what you want to prioritize in your life - that’s what you give time to most and then the other little things can come and go. It’s also about making time for what’s important and not making excuses for starting - if it’s important enough then you’ll find the time. Getting priorities straight is also about setting some boundaries and knowing how to say “no” when you’ve taken on too much. You can think of it like this, it helps me: if I don’t have enough energy left then I won’t have much more to give others, to give myself at the end of the day or even enough time to replenish it for tomorrow. To get to where you’re spending your energy, really look at your day, keep a journal to accompany your diary if that helps to really track when you’re feeling good and what you’re doing when you’re not - this helps you explore your conscious and unconscious commitments.
Focus on your wants and your needs.
When it’s gone…
Some people compare time with money - only you can’t save time for a rainy day, and you can’t borrow it either. We all have 1,400 minutes a day - use them or lose them.
Time management isn’t really about squeezing every productive minute out of your day - it’s about balance. It’s about enjoying your time as well as working diligently - there are relaxed periods and there are busy ones, there are boring everyday things and special moments, we just have to be present for them all. To create balance it helps to have a bird’s eye view of the days and weeks and months; which simply means being able to see ahead and plan or foresee when you’re going to be busy and when you can take it easy.
Some people find it useful to balance their day by breaking it up into segments - assigning different tasks to different segments and time slots. That’s a bit much for me, but that’s the beauty of it, we just have to admit that it’s all bio-individual (which means that you have to find what works for you, because we’re all different so we can’t all follow the same schedule or way of doing things). A good thing about segments is that in this way nothing should feel overwhelming because you’re allocating enough time for each element/event of the day.
Plug your leaks
This goes hand-in-hand with knowing what’s really important to you. Your leaks are those areas in which you’re losing energy and time. If you can visualise your day as a sieve then you can see that all those little holes are areas from which you’re losing energy. If you are aware of many holes within your day, then it really helps to analyse your day and whenever you catch yourself going off topic - being distracted - write down what it is and then at the end of the week you can see how much time was spent on which distractions. You’ll be surprised by how much time you have within those accumulated distractions.
It helps to write down your non-negotiables, for me it looks something like this: sleep - work - family time - exercise - cooking - eating/relaxing. So then I go ahead and see where I’m losing my energy outside of these areas and try to minimise this happening. The more aware I am of these things the more I start to realise when I’m going off at a tangent. It becomes second nature, it becomes a habit to really put your priorities first - you just have to stick with it, to start a habit.
To start a habit you have to know why you’re starting it - so know your why and start it now! Start your routine and stick with it for two weeks and it will get easier. Know yourself, but also be kind to yourself. If you fall off the wagon just get back on the next day, keep yourself accountable and also be honest and fair with yourself.
Self care
Giving yourself priority is also very important. We all need that time to relax, regain our energy and unwind (even if it’s just enough to have a good night’s sleep).
Finding or even creating the time for self-care every day is all about knowing our boundaries and not allowing ourselves get carried away by others. It’s also about being able to slow down and unplug at the end of the day. To be able to sit quietly, be with family, be silent, read, do something that makes us feel calm or do nothing at all is quite energizing. Being able to enjoy the quiet time is also linked to the ability to keep our days balanced, many of us end up sleeping or snoozing the minute we stop and sit down on the sofa! So find the time for that walk in nature, at whatever time of day suits you best; take the time to cook a home-cooked meal, sometimes alone and sometimes with family or friends; take the time to sit and read, sit and watch a movie, sit and be...create the time to be in your calm...
Remember busyness is not purpose; it’s better to have a couple of goals for the day and get them done, then a handful only to leave some for the next day or to be drained. So to recap take the time to check-in with yourself and see what’s important to you; set one to two important goals for the day and find time to be with yourself; realize where and when you’re losing your energy most to minimize those activities; stay accountable and kind to yourself and others.