I love organization. An organized, clean space does more for my well-being than any prescription medicine could. In my home there is a place for everything, and everything is in it’s place – so why do I struggle so much with time management?
One of my major goals for 2014 is to better manage my time, and to get on a manageable plan so I am dictating my schedule, and not constantly playing catch-up. We are now heading into June, the half-way point of the year, and is STILL haven’t put a workable plan into place. Calgon, take me away!
I am determined not to squander the second half of the year like I did the first, so I hope you will join me on this journey to getting on a schedule and better managing my time!
A few changes I plan to make:
Going back to an iPhone
I know, I know. I got rid of my iPhone to save money, but we have since been able to drastically change our phone plan, so it really won’t be any more expensive than what we were paying for non-smartphones. I truly miss the portable functionality, like the calendar that syncs with my MacBook Pro, coupon apps, and even being able to check on this blog. Also being able to say “Siri, remind me to buy paper towels when I get to Target” while I am driving is invaluable.
A detailed calendar
I use the calendar on my iPad for major things like appointments, but it plan to have a comprehensive calendars with absolutely everyone’s activities on it. That way any member of the family can know what is going on at a glance. Once I have my iPhone back this will be much easier to update on the go.
Making a daily list
I am hit and miss on this one. A daily “to-do” list really helps to keep me on track, but sometimes I need a list to make myself write the list! I am one of those people who walks into a room and forgets what they went in there for, so having a hard copy list would eliminate that issue. Also, being able to check things off as they are done is good motivation to keep going. I have a free to-do list printable here.
Utilizing my household binder
I have a household binder full of printables to track our weekly menu, monthly budget, etc. Some weeks I faithfully use it, and some weeks I don’t even open it. One of my goals is to use the binder daily to help stay on target.
My plan is to print a week at a time so I can pre-fill some of the items throughout the week.
Turning off the electronics
As much as I hate to think that I sit around and watch TV all day, electronics are a huge time suck for me. Our family is in the habit of sitting down after dinner and turning on Netflix, which are several hours that could be devoted to something more.
Facebook and Pinterest are also major time-wasters for me. This one is hard because not only do I market my blog and freelance writing on social media, but a lot of my salon and Young Living customers contact me that way as well. The solution I am going to try is setting a timer and allowing myself so much time on those sites daily. That is, once I get my iPhone and can use the timer function. *wink*
Making a daily schedule
When I worked full time I was a lot more productive at home because I HAD to be. If I didn’t get a certain task done before work. It wasn’t happening that day. Now that I am home more I have the luxury of putting things off until later or tomorrow, which we all know means they often don’t get done. My personality type NEEDS the structure of a schedule to stay on task. So another change I plan to implement is scheduling my day in blocks. When time is blocked out for cleaning I won’t be stopping to check Facebook. When time is blocked out for blogging, the TV will not be on.
These are just a few of the changes I plan to implement, but it will need some accountability! Who is in this with me?
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