Time Management–What’s That?
Anyone else have trouble managing their time and getting everything done that they wanted to do?
I used to be much better at it than I am now and that’s when I ran, owned and lived in a home for 6 developmentally disabled women. Besides cooking, planning activities, doing laundry, taking people to the doctor, and tons of paperwork, I also wrote five days a week for at least 4 hours. I would edit what I wrote after I went to bed. Weekends were devoted to the women. (They went off to workshops during the week and were gone from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
I still get up early and get to work before I eat breakfast, but I can’t seem to get nearly as much done as I used to. Part of the reason I think is because of blogging and other promotion on the Internet that wasn’t available back then. Of course I was using the computer and the Net because it helped with what I did for my residents. I went to bed early back then (sometimes before the gals did) and I still go to bed early.
I know I spend far too much time on Facebook, but I don’t want to just be promoting on it, I want people to know me as a real person. Besides, all my relatives and friends are on there too and I love keeping up with what everyone is doing.
My daughter-in-law helps with most of the housework, though I still do the laundry (only have to do it a couple of times a week these days–not 4 or 5 loads a day like I once did), and I still do a lot of cooking and have many people sitting around the dinner table. (I have no clue how to cook for only two.)
Somehow, though I should have more time, it seems the hours are no longer 60 minutes but they’ve managed to shrink somehow.
I still write lists as I’ve always done, but I don’t seem to be able to get through everything I’ve listed before the end of the day.
Anyone have any great tips? (Oh, back in the day, I watched two soap operas in the day time, now I watch General Hospital once in awhile.) My mind is mush by evening, so I don’t usually do any work then.
What I really need is the discipline to write first and then check my email and Facebook.
Marilyn
Marilyn–this line made me giggle: "I would edit what I wrote after I went to bed."–as if you edit in your dreams! Hey, that might work better for me now that I stop to think about it . . .
Seriously, I think you have to weed. You may just have to pull a few things from that list, like it or not. I know it all seems like a bare minimum set of tasks when you write it down. But if you can't get through it all you either have to shorten the list or the time spent on each item or just let yourself off the hook about the list carrying over a little to the next day. I tend to go with the second option and keep a "revolving" list. The list will never end, but then it isn't designed for that.
To me the bottom line is that you shouldn't let the list be a source of feeling even the slightest twinge of failure. Who needs that? It should help you, not hinder you. You get plenty done and should be able to celebrate and build on that, not give yourself a heavy sigh and feel regret over what has to be tackled next time, right?
Our RWA chapter had a speaker who addressed Time Management and one of the best hints I picked up was to divide the things you need to get done into "dots" and "dashes" so if you find you've only got a few minutes, you can do a "dot" task. Also, a to do list without time frames for the tasks doesn't help. You have to have deadlines.
(She also said to block off an hour a day for exercise, but I haven't done that yet.)
Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
I find time management one of the toughest things in life. I wish I had some tricks to accomplishing tasks efficiently. I just feel lucky when I get anything done at all! There always seems to be so much that goes on beyond what I've planned (I'm sure it's the same for everyone!).
Cheers,
Susan
I'm on vacation in Sedona and also doing two book events,getting my exercise walking to bathoom and back (we're camping) and looking for wifi signal.
Thanks for the hints but I think time is shrinking.
Oh and Vicki, I printed pages out and edited them when I was in bed.
Ah, that's what I really figured–you meant you read and edit before turning out that bedside lamp. I should probably do that at least some nights, but I so love to keep my pre-sleepy-bye time for reading for my own pleaure (vs. for work). But, I guess we all fit things into the spaces were they fit!