The biggest complaint everyone has is that they do not have enough time. What most people fail to remember is that we all have the same amount of time as each other. There are 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 52 weeks in a year. We all get the same. What differs from person to person is what we choose to do with that time.
Efficient people have schedules and processes in place. They outsource or employ others. They put a value on not only their own time but family time also. They appear organised and in control, and that is the bit we all want to achieve – the feeling that everything is in balance and that we have the time to do the things that we enjoy.
So where do you start. The hardest thing to do is what needs to happen first. Stop saying ‘I am so busy’, ‘I have no time in the day’, ‘I can’t control what I do in a day’, ‘I am not the sort of person who can set up and live by systems.’ This is the story that you have been telling yourself for a long time – by saying these things you start to believe that it is true. With this story playing in your head you will never move to a place that you can gain control and achieve balance.
By using these next tips you will be able to find forgotten bits of time:
1. Record how you are using your time over a 2 week period (or more if you want). Look at the time you spend working, being domestic, with your children, your partner, for yourself, your friends, sleeping, eating, driving and so on. Colour code it.
2. Analyse what you have found out about yourself. Maybe you will find some of those stories you have been telling yourself that you don’t spend time with your kids, or you don’t do anything for yourself are not entirely true. Can you see where you are spending too much time? Or maybe not enough time?
3. Schedule your life. Schedule everything. Run separate calendars if you need to. Share those calendars with people who need to see them. Put everything in it – kids activities, work deadlines, meals to cook and so on.
4. Have task lists for all areas of your life. Allocate time to do bigger tasks. Smaller tasks can be done in those 5 minutes that you arrived at school pick-up early or waiting for kids to finish a lesson. Using those little bits of time given to you because something else was completed quicker or finished early.
5. If you repeat a task, systemise it or outsource it. Your system can be as simple or complex as you would like to make it. Some people use apps to plan their meals, some use spreadsheets, others a piece of paper on the fridge is perfect. Whatever works for you and your family.
Good luck with finding your forgotten bits of time!
