Time Management for Busy Lives

I can't remember who said it or even where I read it, but I recently read that we are all given the same 24 hours each day- the trick is how we choose to spend those 24 hours. I suppose for some, and at certain phases of our life, we don't get a lot of choices on how we spend the hours of our day, or at least it feels like we don't. But for many, we do have choices. You choose what time you go to bed at night, what time you get up in the morning, where you work, what you do on your lunch hour, the activities you choose to do (or not do) after work, the amount of TV you watch or computer time you log in a day, the amount of excercise you get in a week... I think you get the idea.

I recently came to the conclusion that I wasn't always making the best use of my time, of my children's time, and especially of my family's time. And that doesn't mean seeing how many things can I cram into one day. Oh no! But rather it means how we are using our time efficiently so we have time for the things we really enjoy and that are really important to us. It also means how we can get the necessary things done in a way that means we are not always multi-tasking! (future topic- multi-tasking is not as productive as you might think it is!)

To make the best use of my day, and subsequently our day, I try to list the things I want to or need do the night before. I do this by putting it one one of two places- my phone's calendar or my phone's to-do list. (But a sheet of paper, preferably in a notebook, also works well). I list the most important things I need to do everyday.

For example, I have "Walk" programmed into my calendar each and every day of the week, 12 months a year, 365 days a year. Every. Single. Day.

Do I walk every day? No, I do not.

Do I walk most days? Hmmm... almost, but not quite.

I currently walk 3-4 days a week. But I feel that if I put it down everyday then at some point in time it will become an everyday occurence, or at least almost everyday. I want walking everyday to become a lifelong habit for me, just like brushing my teeth and making my bed (yes, I do make my bed everyday and I developed that habit pretty much the same way, by telling myself that making my bed was important enough to me to do everyday. Every. Single. Day.)

But if I am going to lose some much needed weight, get my blood pressuure under control and continue to lower my cholesterol, it is absolutely parammount that walking becomes a lifelong daily habit for me. Plus, going for a walk gives me more energy to do the things I need to do! So instead of drinking that second cup of coffee or eating that sugary snack for an energy boost- try going for a walk or engaging in some form of exercise that you enjoy. (I also make sure I drink plent of water everyday!) Making important things a daily a habit is a great step toward good time management!

I also list one or two things I really want to accomplish at home that day and that, realistically, I can accomplish. Often it is a household chore. And I have learned over time, that when it comes to household chores, the earlier in the day I begin them, the earlier in the day they are completed. I have learned that if I sneak in a load of laundry right after my daughter leaves for school at 7:15 AM and right before my son gets up for school at 7:30 AM, I can have that laundry washed, dried, folded and ready to put away before noon.

My to-do list might also include something I might need to do to prepare for dinner. I might need to take something out to thaw in the morning, I might make the salad in the afternoon, or bake something for dessert just before the chicken needs to go into the oven. (You may ask, how do I know in the morning what to take out for dinner? Here's a little secret for you- Weekly Menu Planning! I know some people can plan for the whole month, but let me tell you, Weekly Menu Planning has been a blessing for us! It saves us time, it saves us money, and I truly think it has saved our marriage! I will do a blog on menu planning soon!)

We do many of our errands on the weekend, and really we don't have a lot of them, but if I do have an errand to run, that also goes on my to-do list. It can be anything from taking a book to the library to cashing a check at the bank or reminding my husband to pick up milk on his way home from work.

Which takes me to my next thoughts on Time Management for the day- delegate. That's right- it's time to come to the realization that it is time delelgate some of these time-consuming jobs to the other people who live in your house. My husband and I decided when we were married that we would share household responsibilities, so it was a natural decision for us that when they reached a certain age, it was important for our children to share some of the responsibilities of the household as well.

When the the kids first started helping out, it was with great enthusiams (as there often is with small children doing something for the first time) but also very ecclectic. Over time that have gotten into a routine. The first thing they learned to do was to make their beds every day before school. Every day. And before breakfast! Now, usually it's by their standard and not mine, but it does get done and that is the important thing here. They put their own clothes in the dirty clothes hamper and hang up their own towels after a shower. They make their own lunches for school (with help). They each clean a bathroom every week (with help). They take turns setting and clearing the table at dinner time. They dust and vacuum their own bedrooms 1-2 times each month, again, with help (we are an allergy family and my son has a history of asthma, so we really need to do this).

If asked, my kids know how to vacuum and mop. The don't love to do it, but they will do it if asked occasionally. They can fold clothes, but laundry is my domain so I do all of the clothes washing and drying, and my husband & I do often do the folding together. Everyone in my house, including my husband, puts their own laundry away. My husband also does much (though not all) of the mopping and vacuuming and I do most of the decluttering and dusting. He also does about 50% of the cooking (but he really likes to cook and getting home at 4:30 most days gives us ample time to cook together). He also helps clean up pots and pans that don't go into the dishwasher (which I GREATLY appreciate!!). And most mornings, when the dishwashed has run the night before and because he has the luxury of having the kitchen to himself, he empties the dishwasher. Otherwise I run it and empty it.

My husband also takes care of the litter box and takes out the garbage & recycling. I get the kids off to school every morning (which right now is from about 6:45- 8:45 AM) and I do a lot of the day-to-day counter wiping, floor-sweeping, clutter-controlling, etc. I'm also home with them on vacations, including all summer, and I oversee homework duty and test-studying (mostly making sure it's done and helping if asked). Plus a million other little things that I couldn't possibly name. We all do these chores mostly without complaining because everyone has chores to do, and mostly we don't go around patting each other on the back for doing what is expceted, but the occasional thank yous are given and appreciated by all.

Please keep in mind: it has taken us a while to get this far, and some days and weeks are better than others, but most of the time we work together really well. I am blessed with really wonderful children, but if the expectation were not there for them to do these things, I can honestly tell you that they would not do them. But because we work together as a team, after homework & daily chores are done, sharing these responsibilities gives everyone a relatively clean and clutter-free home to live in and time to enjoy an extra activity or two each week. (And we have really cut back on the extra activities with surprisingly little complaint).

But let me please emphasize that we are NOT perfect- nor do I strive for perfection. I try to focus on what we can accomplish each day and I have expectations that a good ammount of it WILL get done. Anything that doesn't get done, I try not to stress over it and then I carry it over to the next day.

Remember: the more you carry over from day to day, the more you put off for tomorrow or next week, the more behind everyone gets, and then the more clutter builds up in your house, which then often takes more time and energy to declutter.

My very last thoughts are these questions:

What are you doing with your time?
How might you delegate chores to create more time?
How might you find some extra time everyday in small ways to accomplish more?
What activities are pulling you and your family away from home and each other- are there any that are unnecessary?

These answers are different for every individual and for every family. For us, the thought of being an on the go family 24/7 was very stressful, both for us and our children. But we only have one life and one chance at raising our children. The changes you make might not only add years to your life, but also add life to your years.