I’m going to ask you a question that’s going to make you laugh, and laugh, and laugh!!
Do you ever feel like there’s not enough time in the day?
> Insert hysterical laughter that turns to tears, because you do feel that way – all the time.
I get it, life is BUSY!
So, grab a pen and paper and lets see if I can give you a little breathing room. Here are my top 5 tips to do the do, and feel good doing it:
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DELETE – Does EVERYTHING on your to-do list really need to be done?
No, really.
We feel like we have to do it ALL, and do it all WELL. But the reality is there is undoubtedly some stuff on your list that you THINK is necessary, but isn’t really.
For example – your child’s class is looking for a volunteer next week. You feel like you ‘should’ volunteer because you haven’t all year … because you’re busy. Sure, it would be nice if you volunteered, but you don’t have to. It will be alright. 🙂 If you really want to contribute, maybe you can help in a different way. Place a quick Amazon order to deliver the snacks for their Valentines Day party – shopping, delivering, and volunteering done in 3 minutes!! Right now – look at that list and cross off anything that won’t stop your world from spinning if it’s left incomplete.
DELEGATE – Could someone else do the task? Not like, hey I’m putting this off on you … more like “Hey, I could use a hand and I think you could help me” or “Would you be willing to do XX so I can XX?” A significant other or a child may be willing and able to do some of the things you have on your list – and if they don’t do them as well as you would have, well, it’s not like we’re making rocket ships here. And if you are, maybe delegate something else. 😉 Take a look at your list – what things can you honestly allow someone else to do?
COOPERATE – Can you share the work with someone else? Maybe meal planning and execution is a major time-suck for you. Could you take turns with a friend and alternate weeks to plan? Or could you get together with a friend on a weekend and batch prep a bunch of meals to throw in the freezer for busy nights? Or take turns doing the Costco run and Venmo each other after? Or – download the Uber Eats app. 🙂 Jot down a couple things that would save you time if you teamed up with someone else.
TIME BLOCKING – Multitasking is great when you’re waiting in the dentist’s office, but operating in that space all the time decreases your overall productivity. If you can focus on just one task at hand for a set period of time, you can accomplish it in less time and get better results than trying to work on several things simultaneously. Your head can be clear of all the ‘should do’s’ and focus on the one, real task at hand. Take a look at your schedule – where can you block out chunks of time to accomplish specific tasks? Now, set boundaries and tell those around you that you’re not available during that time unless someone is bleeding. 😉 Take a sec to note a few things you’d need to block time for.
(Need a great day planner? If you’re a pen-and-paper gal like me, these are my two favorites: The Day Designer Daily/Monthly Planner or create your own custom planner at Agendio. My Agendio planner is basically my entire life lol!!)
TIME TRACKING – Sometimes, when we feel super busy, it’s partly due to being inefficient with our time. Track your time in 15 min intervals for a week and take a peek at what you’re actually spending time doing. Turns out you get sucked into scrolling social media when you got online to send a message? Use messenger.com and don’t even open up your FB Timeline during that time block! Getting sidetracked with housework that’s caught your attention? Set up your work space somewhere you can shut those distractions out. Don’t worry, that laundry won’t disappear, it will still be there when you’re done with your other tasks. 🙂
Busy is real, but so is productivity, so stack the deck in your favor and get to it!
These are my 5 Top Tips – What tips do YOU have for squeezing more out of your day?