Trying to balance two kids, their activities, my work, our home, commitments, volunteer work, etc can be daunting! I sometimes wonder how I don’t go insane honestly! But truthfully I am VERY good at time management. It’s something I have always prided myself on. If you are someone who is looking to be better with time management or you struggle with it I think my best time management tips will help!
Use A Calendar/To-Do List: This is really obvious but so many people don’t! I don’t rely on a paper calendar because I find them to not be reliable unless you check them nonstop! I use Google Calendar (my own and one I share with my husband) and I always have them come with alerts. I also have a to-do list app on my phone that I use to check things off during the day.
Schedule in even stuff you wouldn’t normally: I schedule reminders in my calendar for things like “post Instagram” “reply to blog comments” “put away laundry” that way I don’t forget. It keeps me on task! I also schedule in workouts, and even phone catch-up time with friends.
Use Timers: We have an Amazon Echo and we use the timers and reminders NONSTOP! I also time myself sometimes on smaller tasks. If I am going to spend time working on Instagram or Pinterest I set a timer for 30 minutes. I feel like I work faster and better.
Prioritize: Again, something people forget. I have a to-do list, but it’s in no particular order. From that list, I try to do the most time-consuming/hardest tasks first. That way it isn’t 4 PM and you are just now getting around to the thing that may take 5 hours.
Say No When You Need To: I am THE WORST at over-committing. Something I am trying to get better about is saying no to things that do not bring me joy. It is a constant struggle.
Ask For Help: Again, a no-brainer but ask for help. Not always easy but always necessary. I hired a virtual assistant a few years ago because I could not do everything and do it well. She is seriously a godsend and I would be lost without her. Having help from Andrew with the kids is also important.
Get Up Early: I am the most productive in the morning. I work out in the morning first thing and luckily Andrew gets the kids breakfast so I can. I also try to do a few things around the house before we take the kids to school (unload the dishwasher, collect laundry etc).
Cut Yourself Slack: There will be days your time management sucks and everything goes out the window. Maybe nothing got done. It’s OK. Cut yourself slack and try again tomorrow!
These are my best time management tips and just what works for me!
What is one time management tip you’d add?