I know…this sounds like a boring ass topic. But NO! Since I’m getting a lot of questions about blogging, managing your own business, etc., I think it is perfectly appropriate to get into this topic. After all, poor time management is the underlying issue for many self-employed people. Unsure if you suffer from poor time management? Well, answer this question: do you find yourself wondering where the eff your time goes most days?
Yes? Well….you might practice poor time management. And hey, I’m not here to point fingers. I’m 100% guilty of this. The difference is, I’ve made changes to my daily routine to fix this little issue that was slowly becoming a bigger problem.
I used to have these big grand days planned for myself and suddenly it’s 4:00PM, I haven’t accomplished much, and I’ve mentally checked out. No bueno. I need 5 solid days of productivity. Not only does my business need that, my mental state requires small accomplishments to keep moving forward. Managing my time better ensures that this happens week after week.
You’re probably going to roll your eyes (I love rolling my eyes), but GOOD time management is a lifestyle. Because, once you’ve mastered proper time management, other elements of your life will start to fall into place. Suddenly errands, chores, tasks, obligations won’t be so tedious; you will become more organized and purposeful. This mindset should (in my opinion) be applied to all areas of your life. Read on to see what I mean.
TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS:
–Plan ahead. And think ahead. Don’t just rush into anything–think about the most efficient way to get it done.
-Consider traffic. If you live in LA always plan on being in traffic. If you luck out and don’t hit traffic, sit in your car for those few extra mins and binge on Snapchat. Better that than being late.
-Make a list. Love a list. But if the list isn’t readily available it’s pointless. Use your phone’s Notes app, email yourself, write on a physical piece of paper, whatever works.
-Be strategic. To be perfectly honest, cooking taught me time management. Knowing which dish to prepare or cook first in order for the meal to come together at the right / same time took practice. It’s a strategy game but if done correctly, you will win.
-Wake up earlier. I’m SO not a morning person, but forcing myself to be awake within the 7:00AM hour really helps me have productive mornings and starts my day on the right foot. Sleeping in just naturally puts me in a lazier state of mind.
-Wear a watch. Funnily enough, I wear a watch but never look at it. Sometimes I even look at my phone and don’t actually check the time. I get it, though. We are so distracted by everything else that time doesn’t always register. Try to make an effort to check the time.
-Limit social media and / or TV hours. It used to be that kids were allowed a certain amount of time in front of the TV, but now it’s social media that consumes us. It’s tough, especially when my entire business revolves around it, but it’s crucial to my sanity, vision, and time. Social media can suck me in for literal hours before I realize I’ve just wasted so much time that I’ll never get back. 30 minutes in the morning (usually when I’ve just woken up), 2 minute increments throughout the day (set a timer), and 20-30 minutes before bed is my goal. Just making yourself aware of this is good. Baby steps.
-Set timers. I allot a set amount of time for certain activities in my life and it is amazing how quickly time passes when a timer is set. For a while I was carving out 60 minutes everyday to read a book and I was always depressed how quickly that timer would go off. Being aware of time will help you realize just how valuable it is.