Time management tips that can help you get on track and stay on track!

• Plan each day. If you’ve never been a fan of to-do lists, please give them a shot.  I can’t even remember a time when I didn’t use to-do lists.  They help to round up and organize your thoughts and goals.  Write the most important things at the top and tackle those first.  This way, if the unexpected comes up, the most important things have been done. This prioritizing will help you take care of both the most important things on your to-do list as well as those things that aren’t quite as important.
  
• Don’t waste time – not even an hour. When you sit down to watch a television show that you’re only watching because it’s on (admit it, we’ve all done it!), ask yourself, “What could I accomplish in these 60 minutes instead?”  If you’re a writer, depending upon your medium, you could write 3 blog posts, an entire chapter, or a couple of articles.  Fellow parents with lots of young people in the house, we could practically clean the whole house in that time!
• Delegate. I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of delegating.  I don’t know why – maybe because I was an only child, I just always was accustomed to doing it myself, if it were within my powers and abilities.  However, if you have children to help with housework, or co-workers to help with a task – utilize them!  It’s far better than taking on so much, yourself, that you feel like you’re going to collapse.
• Focus on each task. If you don’t take the time to “get it right” the first time, you’re only going to have to re-do it… which is one of the largest time wasters ever.  Allot enough time for each task to do a great job, not just a good job.  Having said that…
• Don’t obsess over details! Wasting time trying to achieve perfection simply wastes time, frustrates you, and keeps you from getting more accomplished.
• Break large, time-consuming tasks into smaller tasks. If there’s an especially large task you have before you, break it down.  Work in “chunks” – piecing the puzzle together until it’s a work of art.
• Embrace the 10-minute rule. It’s a beauty!  You work on a  task that you’ve been putting off or dreading for a good, straight 10 minutes. More often than not, once you’ve started, you’ll finish.  Then it’s over and done with, never to haunt your good spirits again.
• Evaluate how you’re spending your time. In The Skinny on Time Management by Jim Randel (the link leads to my review of this outstanding book), Randel calls Self-Awareness the Sine Qua Non – in his words “You can’t go anywhere with time management until you are aware of how you are spending your time.”  He goes on to recommend keeping a “time journal” for a week or so.  The goal is to see where you may be wasting time – then you can do a little brainstorming and find how you could utilize this time better.  For example, if you find that you spent 2 hours watching a baseball game (a favorite pastime of mine that I wouldn’t even dream of giving up), use that time to work out as you watch your favorite team.  If you do your pilates, weight lifting, yoga, or even aerobics (running in place, calisthenics, etc.) during the time you’re watching a game or television show, you’ll free up the time during the day when you’d normally work out.   You might also consider ironing, cleaning, writing, checking your e-mail, engaging in social media, or any number of other activities.
• Limit distractions whenever possible. Set aside specific time for specific projects and cut off all potential distractions.  As a mother of three daughters and 5 cats, and the wife of a busy bee husband – I don’t distract easily.  I can write, code, or do any other tasks while carrying on 4 conversations, petting a cat, and cooking supper.  Necessity breeds the ability to find a way to do far more than one ever thought and since children and husbands don’t come with PAUSE buttons, I’ve learned to just keep on keeping on.  However, most people haven’t had to develop this knack and they can (and do) get distracted easily. Simply cut out and cut off any distractions that you may have while working on your to-do list.
• Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Get plenty of sleep, have a healthy diet and exercise regularly.  It may sound like I just segued into a fitness or health article but, a healthy lifestyle can improve your focus and your ability to concentrate.  These traits can help you get more done in less time.
• When you need a break, take a break! If you allow yourself to get stressed and burned out, you will undo all the good that you’ve done.  Remember, you aren’t a machine!  When you feel like you need a break – even a mini-vacation – take one.  A little while back, I felt like I couldn’t write another word, type out another recipe on my food blog, install another plugin, or customize another theme.  I wanted to cringe when I thought of words that normally excited me:  Plugins, blog, search engine optimization, courting Google, affiliate programs, e-mail, and so on.  I LITERALLY pushed myself away from the computer and didn’t return until a couple of days later.  In that time, I caught up on a few books, gardened, worked on the bird stations in our yard, and played with cats. Can you say MENTAL VACATION!?!?!  I returned to my work refreshed and invigorated. I know it’s not always possible for those who don’t work at home… those who have to answer to someone other than their cat.  But, when possible, take a little time away – not just partially away… completely away.  When you return, you’ll be a ninja!

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