Maximizing Your Time When “You Don’t Have It”
I am not one of those people who have a 9-5 job. I work 40 hours a week as a retail manager and my schedule is all over the place. There really is no consistency to my day to day and that can be really challenging for people who strive for structure (me). I have about 4 calendars that I look at every day and I even tried scheduling out every single hour to that day in order to get things done. For some people, that is great and works perfectly. I have tried, and tried, and then tried again, and I realize I’m not one of those people. So, how do I accomplish the to-do list that never really seems to end and really maximize my every day schedule? I’ll tell you what I do that seems to have made a real difference for me this past year.
1— Pick A Time To Wake Up Consistently Every Morning
I am an early riser naturally, 6 am is my jam. Depending on my schedule, I am either getting ready for work or I have a few hours to spare. When I have that extra time in the morning, I usually will do what I would do when I get home from work. I don’t put things off that don’t need to. I will even get things sliced and measured out for dinner that night so it’s one thing I don’t have to worry about when I get home, or making Matt’s job a little easier when he’s the one that’s cooking dinner that night.
Being consistent with my schedule in the morning makes mornings a little bit easier for my day ahead. It’s also the one controlled variable I have over my day, which is simply nice.
2— Figure Out What NEEDS To Be Done That Day
My needs to my day are keeping it as simple as possible.
I NEED to get ready for work.
I NEED to GO to work.
I NEED to eat that day (We always cook, so getting takeout every night is not an option).
3— Figure Out What You WANT To Be Done That Day
I want the house clean.
I want to take a bubble bath.
I want to workout.
I want to work on my website.
I want to see my girlfriends.
You might be looking at those like a lot of those should be in the NEEDS to be done that day section. But the way I’m looking at it— I’m the only person who cares if my wants are met. My needs are when they affect other people. That’s why if you’re a mother your needs are going to be a lot different than mine.
4— Get Your NEEDS and WANTS Accomplished!
I love calendars. I love the idea of planning out my days. But it’s not realistic for me. What’s realistic is knowing what I want to get done and setting a timer on my phone to get those things done. Honestly, this has been my saving grace. I set a 15 minute timer to clean the house every day, whether it’s in the morning or not. In that 15 minutes, I might vacuum and sweep the floors, clean the bathrooms, clean the kitchen, or actually clean up the whole house. Setting a timer allows me to get what I really need cleaned, clean and give me a few extra minutes to clean something else. Once that timer goes off, I’m done. Because I’m doing this daily, you might have figured out that the house cannot be THAT messy. It’s not. That’s why dusting and the small things that people neglect when cleaning are getting cleaned. The timer is setting a designated amount of time to solely the house so that on my days off I’m not spending hours doing these things. I also have Matt’s help so it doesn’t fall on only me. I don’t have kids and there aren’t any on our radar, but I’m assuming parents could do this with the kids too. More hands on deck the cleaner the outcome.
Working out is something I’m just now beginning to prioritize again. It’s been a loooong time with zero motivation. But, I finally moved our stationary bike out of the spare bedroom and into our living room. It’s honestly an eye soar, but because it’s right there, it takes away the excuses and adds to the guilt. Right not I’m in the process for doing that for 20 minutes a day (with 5 minute increases every month, so soon 25) and then I do a workout on Youtube. I have a whole playlist of different workouts so every day I’m doing something different. But what is great with those workouts is that there is a time that works for whatever time frame I can set in. Got 5 minutes? There are thousands of videos for 5 minute abs or bums or arms. No equipment? There’s a video for that. It takes away the excuses and they are all virtually free. Right now I have a playlist with the majority of Tone It Up Workouts (favorite!).
My website is something that I work on during my lunch or when the mood strikes me. Everything else goes on the backburner for my website. It’s my baby.
Things I don’t set a timer for: bubble bath and friends. I try to schedule time with girlfriends once a week to every other week and a bubble bath about 3 times a week. Those things are good for the soul. You indulge in those to become a better person.
5— Seriously, Give Yourself A Break
Yes. I love to sleep and I usually wake up early. But there are days when my body still needs more time in bed. Or, that my to do list is on the back burner because cuddling on the couch next to Matt is much more enticing. I forgive myself. I don’t make it a habit to neglect all my responsibilities everyday, but just like everything else— some things are nice in moderation.