How to Manage Your Time So You Have More of It

Time is the one thing we can't buy more of, borrow, rent, sell or trade. On this, we're all on the same playing field. So why do some people seem to move effortlessly through their day, accomplishing much AND they seem happy and balanced? Time Management done the right way...create more time by effectively using your 24 hours a day.nnnFail to Plan, Plan to FailnnBrian Tracy said if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. It's an absolute necessity to plan our days in advance in these fast-paced times. Without some kind of structure in our day, we race from here to there taking much longer than necessary, and get distracted along the way.nn

Plan your week in advance: Block out specific time slots to complete tasks for the next week. If you work during the day, block after work time for family, household chores, hobbies, etc. It's important that you know what your priorities are - you'll plan them first and then your less important priorities.nnPlan your next day the night before: This is where you can fine tune your schedule for the next day and it takes less than 5 minutes! If something came up that needs to be addressed immediately, you can shuffle your schedule around. When you plan before sleep, you wake up with an expectation of how your day will go and work more effectively.nnPlan personal time: Time for ourselves always falls through the cracks when we're ultra busy. This is one of the biggest mistakes we make, thinking there isn't time for us. When we don't take the time for ourselves, our batteries run out. What happens then? We have even less energy to get it all done. Even 20 minutes a day of uninterrupted personal time is enough to recharge your batteries.nnPlan exercise time: Another mistake many of us make - no time for ourselves, definitely no time to exercise. Half of recharging our batteries is mental and the other half physical. Our bodies need movement to remove life-draining toxins from our systems. Again, you don't have to block out hours of time - commit to 30 minutes a day - all at once or broken into 10 or 15 minute segments.

n nPlanning in time blocks gives us the structure to focus on a task at hand and getting more done. Be flexible - plan to do a little each day on a task, or in larger, less frequent blocks of time. You'll quickly find yourself getting more done, more effectively.nnnMinimize or Remove DistractionsnnWe all have distractions in our lives. After all, things come up. However, there's a lot we can do to minimize certain culprits that rob us of our most valued commodity - time.nn

De-clutter your life: Clutter is distracting and takes your focus away from important things. Is your desk or office messy - clean it and get organized. Is your home cluttered - make it a project to go room by room and sell, give away or donate those items that you haven't used in 1 year or more. Clutter subconsciously suffocates us which is why we can never be at peace while we're surrounded by it. We naturally focus better when we have space.nnThe 5 minute rule: If it takes less than 5 minutes to complete a task, do it now. Put those dishes in the dishwasher, the clothes in the laundry, make that phone call (if it's less than 5 minutes) - you get the picture. The little items can pile up and become overwhelming. Do it now. The distraction will be gone and you'll feel as if you've accomplished something.nnTechnology trap: These days we have technology helping us out - but it isn't always a time-saver. Very often we find ourselves wasting precious time checking email, surfing the internet aimlessly, chatting online and yes, playing mindless computer games. Here's a hint: ONLY check email during specific times of the day. This is one of the biggest distractions in getting the important things done. Also, limit your internet, chat and computer games time to the "free" time you have - that is AFTER your most important priorities have been addressed.

nnnGetting It All DonennIn today's busy world most of us multi-task. Getting smart about combining tasks (multi-tasking) can be a very effective time saver. A word of caution: don't combine high priority tasks. Those higher priorities in your life deserve your undistracted focus.nn

Consider spending time talking with your kids (very important) while you fold the laundry (who knows, they may help) nnTurn your commute time into educational or entertainment time by listening while driving. These days, almost every book is available in audio format.nnPut your filing in order while waiting on hold.

nnYou can get much more done when you engage the support of others. Who can you delegate to? Who can you partner with. Relinquish some control and share it with others who are willing and able to support you. You free up much needed time for yourself and leave them empowered with their own sense of accomplishment.nnThese days we all wear many hats. It can be done with style and grace when we plan to succeed, making the most of our time.