How to Build a Solid Time Management Foundation

by Guest on November 3, 2010

The following post is from Laura of I’m an Organizing Junkie:

source: Captin Kimo

Time management and balance are always a hot topic. There is an awful lot of advice out there about how to juggle many different balls and keep them all rotating in the air just so.

Unfortunately, though, as we try and balance this erratic tightrope of life, one strong wind could come along and send all those balls flying every which way if we don’t have our feet firmly planted on solid foundation.

Trying to find “more” time in our day in order to pack even more into an already busy schedule is temporarily just patching the crack. You might hold it together for another couple of hours or even a couple of days but it’s not a permanent fix and most definitely not sustainable for the long haul. We’ve all been given the same 24 hours to manage, that we know will never change. What we can change is how we choose to fill that time.

1. Be intentional

Know your priorities. Sit down right now and list the top three things that are most important to you and why. Don’t just say them, write them down. Make a commitment to make them happen. This knowledge is the key to every decision you make about how you will spend your time. Recognize that this list can change daily and that’s okay.

This is your set of directions for purposeful living whether it be day by day or longer. For example, family dinners are a priority for me and therefore every choice that is presented to me to fill that space with other things is carefully analyzed with that goal in the forefront of my mind.

2. Set boundaries

Once you know your priorities, go about setting the boundaries of protection. I have four hours of work time on Tuesday and Thursdays while my son is in school and I need to ensure to safe guard that time to make sure my work commitments are fulfilled. I make sure others know and I communicate the plan. Designate and protect your established boundaries.

source: Bahai Views

3. Say no

Opportunities are all around us enticing us with their glorious possibilities. I also like to call them distractions. They look attractive and they are often powerful in how they woo us away from our priorities. Many times it’s hard to say no to them and they will make you question your intentions. Stand strong and confident in your ability to make your goals a priority by saying no to everything that stands in your way from making them happen. For my family that meant saying NO to many activities that happen to fall during family dinner time.

4. Schedule it in

This goes hand in hand with being intentional. If you want to make it happen, don’t just think about it; make a conscious choice to schedule it into your day. Don’t wait for the time to magically appear out of thin air because it isn’t going to happen.

5. Eliminate some of those balls altogether

Finally, this is one of the most important foundation builder steps of them all. We often get consumed with finding more time to juggle more and more balls in the air that we forget altogether about one of the most powerful choices of all — drop some of those balls altogether. Instead of trying to do more, do less. I know it’s hard to imagine this as a possibility with all that you have on your plate but I challenge you to consider letting go of just one thing to see what happens. I’m betting you’ll be surprised at the result.

Is your foundation on shaky ground? What changes can you make today to start to repair the cracks beneath you in order to consciously and purposefully manage your time?

Laura is a wife and mother to three great kids, lives in Alberta, Canada and is an addict of all things organizing. You can find her blogging regularly at I’m an Organizing Junkie, and her organizing book, Clutter Rehab: 101 Organizing Tips & Tricks to Become an Organization Junkie and Love It!, will hit bookstore shelves in December 2010.

http://www.theconfidentmom.com theconfidentmom

I loved this basic outline for managing time Laura! I find that most moms just cannot say that “NO” word! Why is that so hard?? Even myself – I have a hard time keeping boundaries around my time.

Orgjunkie

I hear ya. I think it’s a lot like Ramblings of a Woman said in her comment. So many great opportunities that it’s hard to draw the line. Doing a time chart (I’ll write more on this soon) before ever saying yes to something is an excellent way to see how it’s even possible to add yet one more thing.

Anonymous

Very good post Laura! I think that being able to cut back and say No is going to be the only way women can stay sane in this crazy world! There are just too many opportunities and they are ALL good. We just can’t DO them all, lol!
Bernice
http://bernicewood.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/the-perfectly-imbalanced-life/

Orgjunkie

Yes that’s the problem for sure. So many great things out there that are wonderful and exciting but might not be right for whatever season of life we are in. This is why knowing our priorities and intentions are so critical as it allows us to contemplate everything according to that criteria.

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Robbinsnest6

I think that it is important to remember that we CAN have it all. We just can’t have it all at the same time… to everything there is a time. Prioritizing what is the MOST important thing at this time is key.
Robbinsnest6

I think that it is important to remember that we CAN have it all. We just can’t have it all at the same time… to everything there is a time. Prioritizing what is the MOST important thing at this time is key.
Sharon

I love what you are saying about Be Intentional. I think so many of us spend time on things that don’t really support what our goals and values are in life. I recently started a blog about how I manage my family of six children, and the very first thing I wrote about was creating a kind of “personal mission statement”- that outlines for you your goals in life, and should provide the foundation for how you spend your time. If you’d like to check it out- here’s the link:
http://momof6.com/2010/09/24/my-game-plans/plans-to-manage-your-time-schedule-and-goals/begin-with-the-end-in-mind/

Warmly,
Sharon
http://www.momof6.com
Mrigden

Amen Laura….I schedule all the things I want to get done. With work, the “say no” thingie sounds dreamy, but maybe not realistic
http://www.the-lifeofus.blogspot.com Tara V

I find it so hard to get motivated with two kids one 3 and 1 1/2…I spend more time breaking up fights and never getting one job done. I long for the day I can accomplish a list!
http://organisingqueen.com Marcia Francois

Love, love, love this post. I am all about intentional and purposeful time management – when I say this to people they think “isn’t TM about trying to do 10 things all at the same time?” NO! I say only do things that support your goals of a pleasant and organised home and family life
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Krista

These remind me of something I read about Mother Theresa. It really struck me that when you join a religious order, or enter a monastery, people take on a “rule” of life. Basically in these religious orders, including Mother Theresa’s, they realized that if you wanted to reach a goal you had to schedule it. So if you wanted to give your life to prayer or to service or to what have you (intention) you had to live your life and spend your time to make that happen (schedule). Even lofty goals like giving your life to God come down to the nuts and bolts of scheduling the time to make that happen, and being committed to that schedule. That’s the concrete part of faithfulness. Since our lives cannot be separated from space and time, our intentions cannot be separated from a schedule. A routine or a plan that you are committed to follow in order to meet your goal.