Time management is one of those words that makes me feel a bit queasy…. I wish I was better at it! But with a little one, I’ve learned to juggle work and business and life, and picked up some tips along the way.
Here’s some ideas to stop you feeling as though you’re spinning 100 plates at the same time.
Breathe…. And think about what’s important to you?
WHAT’S YOUR PRIORITY?
If your boiler broke down (as ours did at the weekend), you do everything in your power to fix it. We called the plumber, and he came out, and job done, sorted.
So why don’t we do the same thing with other areas of our lives? Why do we only take action on the emergencies, and let other areas of our lives take a back seat? How can you treat that project that you want to do like the broken boiler?
START TAKING ACTION:
I’ve started saying to myself “JUST BLOODY DO IT” for the times I want to wobble and quiver…
Don’t listen to your fears, override that emotion and just do it!
SCHEDULE YOUR TIME:
Google Calendar has become this amazing device that schedules everything, and I mean EVERYTHING in our life – from my “white space” to work on projects to nursery to swimming lessons to MY yoga classes. When you plan in time for you, and what you want to do, it means it’s less likely to get bumped down the priority list.
GET UP EARLY:
Little one wakes me up at 5am most days. Yes, you might think that’s painful, but once you get used to it, it’s amazing how much more you can get done in your day. I can easily write a blog post before my husband is stirring from his slumber.
MAKE THINGS NON-NEGOTIABLE:
Do the things you love, and plan in advance… if you want to go running, then plan a babysitter so you manage to get your weekly run in.
KISS GOODBYE TO THE TIME SUCKERS:
The Daily Mail gossip column was my guilty pleasure…. unfortunately it sucked up too many hours in the day, and wasted valuable time when I could be working on the business. What’s your time sucker? And how can you curb that time waster?
MAKE A DECISION AND DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT:
The editor of US Vogue Anna Wintour says she just makes a decision, and says it doesn’t matter if it’s the wrong decision, she just wants to make a decision quickly. Successful people take action and make a decision. It might be the wrong decision, but you can always rectify the situation, NOT TAKING ACTION means standing still, and procrastinating your life away.
For more on saving time, check out my blog on the Huffington Post: Screw the Time Suckers – How to juggle everything and still achieve what’s important to you.
With much love,
Lucy x
