Do you ever feel like you need more time? Do you feel like you never have time for yourself? Have you ever fallen asleep exhausted because your day was jammed packed with things to do? How do you juggle your busy schedule and find time for yourself? Do you want to reclaim your time or make it more productive?
Time, we use it every day. We get up with it. We go to work and school with it. We define life events by it. So many things are based on time. Yet it is so hard to master it. It seems like there is never enough time in the day to do all the things that need to be done. Working women naturally wear multiple hats – worker, wife, mother, student, friend, and many more. Having a long to-do list of things and people to take care of and organize can be exhausting. I often fall asleep as I am adding items to tomorrow’s to-do list. Have you ever done that?
The third step to becoming an Unaverage Woman is to Prioritize Your Time. You have decluttered your space and created a vision for your life. Now, how do you reclaim your time and work on your vision? How do you make yourself a priority?
I know what you are thinking. Your job, your spouse, your kids, your family, your classes, and so many other things are your first priorities. You are the last person on your list, and you feel selfish when you say no to any of those things or people. Self-care is not selfish and making time for yourself is important. None of those things or people must suffer for you to reclaim your time. That’s right, you can be a great mom, an excellent employee, an A student, a loving wife, and so much more while still making time for YOU!
How? It can all happen if you learn to prioritize or schedule your time.
If you want to have time to focus on your goals and not be stressed out with all that you need to do, a schedule is a must. I have been on a journey to reclaim my time since I had my last child. I was overwhelmed by all the things I felt I needed to do and hardly ever had time for myself. My personal goals were often pushed back so I could take care of others or complete projects for work or church. One day I decided that something has to change and I came up with a plan. I schedule my day from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep. I create schedules for my kids that includes chores and free time. A schedule has been a game changer in my life and created free time for me to focus on ME.
Jim Rohn says, “Either you run the day, or the day runs you.” Are you ready to learn how to run your day? There are five things you can do this week to start the process of Reclaiming your Time:
1) Create and evaluate your To-Do List. This is a list of all the things you must do in each day as well as your long-term goals. This will include meals, work, small items, large items, etc. Then put parenthesis with the amount of time each thing should take to complete. It is important to analyze the items you have on your to-do list. Are all these things important and do you need to do them all?
2) Create a daily schedule. This schedule should walk you through your day as you would want it to go. It should include free time, chores, meal prep, family, and interruptions as well as time for you to focus on your goals and dreams. Do not leave yourself off the schedule. Even a small block of time is a start.
3) Create timelines for big goals. Breaking down your goals into manageable steps helps them become easier to reach. For example, if you have a goal of losing weight, create mini-goals and deadlines. Once you reach one small milestone, you will feel more confident as you face the next one.
4) Find a place for your schedule. A schedule is useless if it is not in a useable place. I find that having my schedule printed out and displayed in a visible location is important. I also like to have it on my electronic devices – phone, tablet, computer. I create alarms for items that deal with ME TIME – being it self-care or working on a goal.
5) Learn to Say No. I know this is easier said than done. However, you cannot load your life up with everyone else’s priorities. It is okay to choose you. Stop being worried about hurting someone’s feelings or disappointing them. If it is not priority or someone else can do it, say no. Steve Jobs said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
If you can change how you use your time, you can change your life. Organizing your day and scheduling your time will open windows of opportunity where you can create, do, be, and focus on your goals. All it takes is a little planning and sticking to your schedule. You can reclaim your time and your life. Why not start today? You are one step away from being an Unaverage Woman and Reclaiming Your Time!