It’s Time to Better Manage Your Time!

So … it’s February 1, how are your New Year’s Resolutions holding up?

Maybe you’ve been successful — you’re a better person than I am — or maybe you find yourself fighting the same battles you do every January. Work out? Gosh, I have so many other things to do! Keep the house clutter free?  Shoot, I just don’t have the time today! Grocery shop and cook at home rather than go out to eat? Well, if only there were more than 24 hours in a day!

What’s the common denominator here? Poor time management, and it’s time to make a change.

According to “Chase’s Calendar of Events,” February is National Time Management Month.  Kerul Kassel, author of, “Productive Procrastination” suggests these five tips for those of you who mutter the mantra, “There just isn’t enough time in the day.”

1. Don’t make a to-do list! Instead, schedule the task into your calendar for an appropriate day and time.

2. Spend five minutes each and every day planning the “big rocks” (highest impact toward achieving your most heartfelt accomplishment) into your day, so the “little rocks” don’t fill in all your time.

3. Double-schedule, meaning schedule at least twice the time you think you’ll need to finish any particular task – either on separate days/times or at one time, whatever will work best for you. This will help you account for distractions/interruptions as well as underestimating the amount of time something might take to complete.

4. Check your values against how you spend your time.  Are you spending time on what you say is important, or are you only giving it lip service?

5. Stop feeling guilty about what you haven’t accomplished!  It doesn’t bring out your best.  Instead, ask yourself what you can do now, or when (how soon) you’ll complete the task, or whether it’s even a wise use of your time to do it.

Now … get on with your life!