When people complain that they do not have enough time to do something, what they are really saying is that the thing is not a priority, and what they are doing is choosing another activity in its place.
Let’s face it, time cannot be managed but people can!
You can tell time to last longer but it just will not do it. So instead of managing it, we must manage ourselves and use our time well. The best way to begin the discussion of time management is to take a look at your busy life and then develop a plan, a vision, or a program.
Whatever you want to call it, it will give your life good direction. If you do not have a plan or at least a distant goal, you will not know which path is the right path to take in your daily life. Whether it is going to the grocery mart without a shopping list, or deciding whether to work full time, a game plan is what is needed most or decisions are haphazard and just will not work so well.
1. Establish priorities.
Write each priority down if it helps (and it usually does). This creates a road map to life and will enable you to easily see how to spend each of your days. For example, if you are clear that your priority is to have an outing as a family, then you will be able to say no to activities that take place during that planned time hour.
If free time is a priority, then you may choose to limit the amount of extracurricular activities a child participates in. Set your priorities with integrity and then stick to them. You will also be able to see when you are straying from any designated path. If you are often straying, then perhaps it is time to reevaluate your plan and then see if it is still working for you.
2. Decide whether you want to be the Chief, Cook and Bottleawasher. Alternatively, perhaps you prefer to be the MANAGER.
A family manager wears a number of different hats, from chef to accountant to personal shopper to nurse to teacher. That does not leave much time for taking care of yourself. The way to claim more time for yourself is to become a great manager and train others in your household to do more of the work in your place. Then (the hardest part) be brave enough to let them do it even if it is not exactly the way you would want it done.
More tips in Part 2.