Managing Your Time

Most people today juggle multiple hats. Work, family, church and extra curricular activities seem to take up more time than the day allows. It sometimes seems impossible to complete all the things we need to do. Some days the stress of simply thinking about daily tasks is overwhelming. Effective time management is the key to completing tasks and reducing stress. This skill comes naturally for some, but for others time management takes practice and patience. One method of managing time is prioritizing. Make a list of what needs to be accomplished and determine which tasks are the most important or need to be completed first. Planning for an upcoming party may be important, but paying the bills is a greater priority. Grocery shopping is a necessity, but finishing an overdue work project may need to be tackled first. When prioritizing, consider when the task needs to be completed, how much time the task will take to complete and if other tasks are dependent upon completion of this task. Also consider the effect of not completing the task. Sometimes the things we feel we need to do are not as important as we initially thought. We may think we have to buy a new pair of shoes for an upcoming event, however, after considering the time this activity will take, we may reconsider some of the shoes we already have in our closets. 

To-do-lists are one way to manage our time. Each week write a list of things that need to be accomplished. Break the list down by days and revisit the list each morning. Some items on the list may be carried over to the next day or next week if necessary. When a task is completed, mark through it on the list. The act of marking through items on the list reduces stress by visually reinforcing our efforts. Seeing the list dwindling down gives us a feeling of accomplishment. 

To-do-lists are also visual cues that keep us on track. We often become distracted by other activities during the day. While working on the computer, we may decide to check Facebook for only a few minutes, which leads to checking email, which leads to reorganizing pictures on our favorite photo software (guilty!). A few minutes can quickly turn into 30. Having a to-do-list nearby cues us to stay on track and minimizes distractions. 

Set goals for completing tasks. Deciding to finish, or stop working on, a project at a certain time ensures that there is time to complete other items on the list. If you know that you have a church activity at 6 p.m., you may decide to vacuum the house until 5:30. Knowing that there is a time limit may prevent you from getting distracted by other chores that need to be completed. 

Stick to the plan! This is sometimes the most challenging component of time management. Rewarding yourself for staying focused may help. Also, the reward of managing time well is reinforcing in itself. Remind yourself that sticking to the to-do-list gives you more free time. Choose activities that you would like to participate in during free time such as reading, playing games or catching up on your favorite TV show. More free time means less stress!