Single Moms, How to Get More Time

How important is your time? I know, I know, it's important. You likely don't have enough time in your day, but how are you using the time you have?

Are you doing the dishes by hand when you could be running the dishwasher. It may cost you a few more dollars a month, but are those few dollars worth the time you spend on doing dishes by hand? Or is doing the dishes manually your downtime? Is it relaxing? Does it allow you to be calm and peaceful?

You are busy going from work to getting your kids to after school activities. You are constantly on the go. Are you consolidating your steps? Instead of making a special trip to the grocery store on your day off, spend the extra time after work to stop by on your way home. That way it saves you time and gas in going out just for that. Plus when you have a whole day off, do you really want to spend it at the grocery store? Try not to go during prime times, because that will take you longer weaving around people and standing in lines.

What do you do in your downtime? We all need relaxation, but how much time do you spend watching TV, on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest? These things suck you in. I used to have the TV on just to have it on. Then I'd walk by and have to see what is going on in the TV show that I don't ever watch, but for some reason now looks interesting. Then somehow I manage to sit there and watch the rest of the show and just wasted almost an hour watching something that I've never had an interest in.

Of course, we like to watch TV. We have our favorite, must see shows. How many do you have? You know the ones…you just can't miss. You have to see who gets kicked off this week or who is going to backstab whom on your favorite drama. There are at least a few shows that you can delete from your list. Start with the ones at the bottom when you are deciding what to watch…the ones you skip over and save until you've watched everything else on your DVR. The ones you have just to give yourself something to do…anything to watch. Those can be deleted. There are several other ways to spend your precious time.

Social media sites catch you a mile away. That's one reason they are so popular. You'll find yourself looking at a picture. Then you will start looking at other pictures or posts. Before you know it, you've spent an hour doing nothing but looking through posts, tweets, and pictures. Limit yourself to 15 minutes on these sites. No, don't just think 15 minutes or trust yourself to look at a clock, because that won't happen. Set a timer. When it goes off, you're done. No excuses. No "wait just a minute." You are finished at 15 minutes.

I'd like to say do what you have to do then get off the sites, but we know that you want to look a bit. After all, that's what those sites are about. They are about connecting with other people. How can you connect, if you aren't networking and exploring? How can you form a real relationship on these sites, if you don't spend any time on them? Fifteen minutes is enough time to form relationships and accomplish your pins, tweets, or posts.

You are busy. You are probably super busy. But how are you spending the time you have? Are you wasting it and then saying you don't have enough of it in your day? Use the time you have smart and wisely, and you'll realize you have more than you think.

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