Almost all the blog posts I do are written because I have a need in my life and this post is no different! As a blogger, mother, wife, Christian, and part-time employee, I NEED some time management tips. In my post here I shared this printable:
I feel I waste too much of myself! I want to be better and here are some tips to help me stay productive and will maybe help you as well.
Plan your month. Grab a calendar and look at your month. Put in all the activities you have planned. Then you will know what you can and can’t do. I faithfully use my calendar on the phone, but I need to see an overview of the whole month so I don’t have 8 things going one week and 2 the next.
Make a “To Do List” daily. What is the most important thing I need to accomplish today?
Do the hardest things first. Ugh! There are some things I have to do that are hard or ones I don’t enjoy. Do those first and your day will feel like a breeze.
Find your mojo. What time of day are you the most alert and productive? Identify this time as your “mojo” time, and seek to make it your scheduled “work time” each day. For me, I’m much better in the morning! So blogging in the wee hours of the morning does NOT work.
Set a timer. When I work on the computer I need to set a timer. The internet can suck me into a big black hole if I’m not careful. It is definitely my #1 thing that wastes my time or wastes me! I also use a timer when I clean. I set it and see how much I can get done before the timer goes off. It’s amazing what you can accomplish in just 15 minutes. My motto is, “I can do anything for 15 minutes.”
Don’t multitask or at least limit your multitasking. When you’re multi-tasking, your brain is constantly having to shift focus. Group like tasks together to help you stay focused.
Plan your menus. You can save so much time by planning them out weekly or monthly. Once a month freezer cooking also saves a large amount of time in the kitchen. I have a confession, I fight this principle so much and I’m not sure why. This is one thing I want to surrender to this year and quit fighting.
Set specific goals. When you set goals you know where to focus your time. If a particular activity doesn’t help you achieve a goal, then it’s probably not a smart use of your time. Keep your goals in front of you.
Create routines in your life. There are things we do every day. Create a morning, afternoon, and evening routine. For example, your evening routine might be cook supper, cleaning the kitchen, packing lunches, lay out clothes for the next day. Write these routines down.
OK, my time has gone off and I need to move on. If you need a printable planner feel free to download any or all of these planner sheets in two colors.
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Saturday:
Six Sister’s Stuff, Bowdabra Blog, Cheerios and Lattes, Funky Junk Interiors, Be Different, Act Normal, Serenity You, Too Much Time On My Hands , It’s Overflowing, Or So She Says, Pinteresting Party, Sew-Licious, 3 Boys and a Dog Pinterest Party, Natasha In Oz, Susie Q
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Great tips Barb – have pinned this, Alice @ Mums Make Lists x
Great tips! I've been struggling with this lately between my family, my church commitments, my blog and my Etsy store. I'm always running! I'm definitely going to write down my goals and put them front and center to keep me focused. By the way, I'm your neighbor over at the Shabby Creek link party! Hi neighbor!
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Ugh. Planning menus might be my biggest weakness. I hate it so bad. Gotta find something that works!!!Great post!-Kristina @mother's niche
I need to plan my time better so I'm not up at nearly 4am playing catch up – will take note of these tips
These are some great tips, Barb! I've always been a planner — making schedules, writing lists, etc. are just plain fun in my brain. I had used some kind of daytimer for many years (often creating my own pages) until Hubby and I retired. I kind of didn't think I needed one anymore — WRONG! The first thing I did was set up "Wunderlist," and love that it automatically syncs to my iPhone & iPad, but I truly missed the physical act of writing things down and then checking them off. So….a couple of weeks ago, I dug out one of my old daytimer-type notebooks, searched Pinterest for some Free organization printables, & created a new daytimer that fits my current personal needs. I am so much happier now!
This is awesome…I need so much help getting organized in this area!
Hi Barb, These are very helpful. WE are featuring your post at Pin It Monday hop# 24 later today. Check out what my other co-host said about your post. This is one of her favorite. Hope to see you later.Thanks for linking-up with us last week 🙂 Judy
Wow, that's some valuable info, thanks! I get sucked into that black hole on the computer, much too often. Since not working in 2009, I am so bad and having a daily agenda. It doesn't help when others poke in on you and want you do to things for them, and you keep putting you aside. I need to work on "all of the above". Thanks for the wake-up call. Following you!Wendy @ effiegirl.blogspot.com
Using good time management software is the best trick to organize your tasks and use your time effectively to get more things done each day. Basically, time management is a skill that takes time to develop and is different for each person.Try using Replicon's time recording software ( <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.replicon.com/olp/online-time-recording-software.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.replicon.com/olp/online-time-recording-software.aspx ), it can help you to reduce stress and do better at workplace.
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Thanks everyone,I would definitely support a good time management software can be very much helpful to easily track and manage all your project time. This in turn, helps in better project management and increases overall efficiency and productivity of the project. To this, I tried many tools such as Harvest & Freshbooks etc. but lately found another really nice to use time management software which is really a boon for all time tracking related hassles.