Best Ways to Manage Your Time
“I don’t have time for this.”
“I’m way too busy.”
“I wish I had more time in the day…”
More than once I can bet these or some version of these phrases have been said in your life. Excuses. A little harsh but the truth, these are excuses. When we can’t get to a certain activity, hang out with a homie, read that book, meal prep for the week, or launch that new project, we often tell ourselves these things to justify why we can’t do it. Sure, some of it has to do with not having enough hours in a day, but I can tell you a huge part of it is about not managing our time appropriately.
We spend hours on social media, binge-watching a Netflix special, watching beauty or COD YouTube videos, and sometimes lay in bed longer than needed. Cutting down on some of these things will give you back some hours of your days and weeks to do the things you plan to do.
If you know me, you know I’m a planner. Here are some tips and tools about time management.
Tip #1 Time is precious, it’s okay to say no. School, work, family, exercising, social life, we all have a lot going on in our fast-paced lives. Learn to prioritize and say no to things you can pass on. Doing so will prevent burnout and you’ll have the energy to focus on the things you need and want to do.
Tip #2 Rest up, sleepy head! Quality rest is important and can change your whole attitude when you’re out and about. Having the energy is vital to keep you focused throughout the day. When you’re light on rest, you are prone to getting distracted easily which leads to wasting time.
Tip #3 Early. Bird. Gets. The. Worm. Believe it or not the way you start your morning sets the tone for your whole day. When you are able to work on things earlier in the day, your concentration is sharp, you have less interruptions, and your energy level is at a all-time high ( of course only if you followed tip #2). Early risers are winning and we can all be winners here!
Tip #4 We ain’t nothing but a goal digger. Setting goals that you can work towards and cross off your list creates productivity which means you’ll use your time wisely since you know where the finish line is. I read once, “Goals transform insurmountable mountains into walkable hills.” When you know your goal and you have that laser-focus, you won’t derail and will spend your time wisely. Now, here is the secret to goal setting. You don’t want to set just any goal. You want to set SMART goals. Check out my example below:
Not a SMART Goal: I want to be healthier.
SMART Goal: I want to be a size __and lose X amount of pounds by meal-prepping at least 5 times a week and hitting the gym 5 times a week for 3 months.
Specific: I have a clear objective and goal to reach.
Measurable: I’m able to track my size and pounds throughout the journey.
Achievable: Since it’s not a vague goal or outrageous, I list the steps to get there (meal prepping and exercising).
Relevant: The bigger picture and why it’s important. I know being healthy is a core value to me.
Time-based: With the timeline, I’ll push myself harder to reach my goal before the deadline.
Tip #5 Time-block til’ you can’t no mo’. Confession time, I am a detail-oriented nut. I’m about that time-blocking life and am a huge fan of setting up my day with specific time blocks. While this sounds a little cray cray, it’s been a game-changer and helps me stay on task with whatever I tell myself to do. It’s understandable that sometimes you drive off course, but for the most part when I specifically block time, I know sh*t is going to get done! There’s something about seeing a task scheduled that pushes me to finish and make the cut. Here is an example of next week’s schedule.
Now that we talked about some tips, here are my two favorite tools for time-management.
Use a planner. Calling all my sketchers, doodlers and visual peeps. Pen and paper is still a thing, folks! Try purchasing a planner to organize your days, weeks, and months. If you’re like me and love to get the creative juices going with your fancy handwriting, color coding, etc. this might be the way to go for you.
Pro-tip: We love Target and Amazon, but for some reason planners are a bit pricey there. Check out your local Marshalls, Ross, and TJ Maxx for your planner. They have the cutest options at a way better price.
Google Calendar or Phone Calendar. Here is the easiest way to iron out the details on the go at all times. For my techie friends, using an app is the best for accessibility. When I pull up my Google Calendar, I can view it on my phone, laptop, and make changes at a couple taps.
Pro-tip: I like to set-up my notifications on my phone 5 minutes before I need to get started on something new. This helps me wrap up what I’m doing and prep for the next task.
Time management is always a work in progress. Life throws us curve balls quite often and it’s impossible to plan every second of your life. But, if you’re trying to be more productive and get the most out of your day, it starts with managing your time well!