 Find Time
Seriously…is there anyone who is not looking for more time? Since you can’t manufacture more, you have to figure out how to better use what you have. When I’m pinched for time, I follow three steps:
- I find my motivation. I ask myself why I want more. Is it for a hobby, to exercise…to sleep? Once I know why I need more time, it’s easier to get and stay motivated.
- I figure out how to free up my time. I can usually find more time if I look at the following list.
- Get help. I delegate or ask for help.
- Let go of perfectionism. If I’m pinched for time I might speed clean, make simpler meals or buy deli food for a potluck instead of making something from scratch.
- Avoid time traps. Email, phone, internet, TV can fritter away a lot of time.
- Stop over-scheduling. Before our family signs up for anything new we look at the calendar and see how it will affect all of us.
- Say no. Once you get your priorities set firmly in your mind it becomes easier to say “no” to things that you agree to out of obligation or guilt. In the past I’d spend hours doing things that I wasn’t good at or wasn’t interested in doing at the expense of things that were important to me.
- Hire help. Look into lawn care, cleaning services or tutoring for your kids.
- Schedule it. If I don’t plan for things, they don’t get done. Time just slips away. Scheduling is a powerful tool. Build things into your life. If you want to get more exercise, find a work-out DVD, walk with a neighbor or join a gym. Then set a regular time to do it. If you want to read, join a book club, that will give you a deadline. Then turn off the computer or TV before you get hooked on something mindless. Want to scrapbook? Set a date with a friend and “crop till you drop.” If you need more sleep, set a regular bedtime and follow a nightly routine to get you there on time
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