Time Management Or Where NOT To Slot the Oven Mitt.

Yeah, being disorganized gets in the way of time management.  Or is it the other way around?

Taking my own advice the other day, I prioritized my commitments - meaning what are responsibilities that I have in my day to day life that need to have time set aside for them?

Needs:

Wants:

Work

Family

Kids' schedules

Writing

Feeding the Herd (family)

Church Calling

Writing

PR for Writing (blogging, etc.)

Supplies (Shopping)

Baby (different needs than three older kids)

Cleaning

Laundry

Cooking Meals

Appointments

Exercise (Don't want to be huge for that conference next year)

School volunteer

Hunting Season (hubby's needs)

Extraneous needs that just pop up

Sleep

These are all commitments.  I know I have more, but I can't think of any because the last commitment on the list is one I don't make enough time for.  I'm serious. 

So, when you look over the list you have to decide which is a Need and which is a Want.  This is MUCH harder than you think.  Only you can decide what falls where for you.

For instance - is sleep a need?  Not more than 4 to 6 hours a night - at least for me.  Cleaning is not.  No, again, I'm serious.  I don't clean until everyone can help me.  I work full time and have other things I want too, so the whole family helps or I don't do it. 

Each item needs to be weighed and measured.  After doing so, a tentative time allotment needs to be set aside for each. 

Blogging for me (since I wrote my business plan) is important.  I have four blogs.  One is for my authoring, one is family journaling, another is a weight report - to hold me accountable and the last is one for my testimony in God - a personal accounting.  I have set aside certain time for each of these. 

I also work particular hours a day and refuse to go outside this slotted time because I have other things to occupy the other 19 hours of the day. 

As a transcriptionist, your production bases your full time or part time status.   I work a full time job in part time hours.  It makes it nice for the rest of the commitments.

Okay, so we have prioritized our list.  Say a few things can be under both Want and Need?  Well, decide if you want it to be a need or if it can actually stay a want that you have to schedule time for.  Here is the difference.  A want that should be a need is something you plan, something that you want to replace another need.  I want my writing to be more successful than my work so that I can soon fade out the work and use that time for writing (a new work).  So, if it's a want/need you have to schedule it and treat it like a need. 

If it is a want, it is going to be sacrificed once in a while for the good of the needs.  Cut out the shopping, if it's not emergent - suggest food storage - later post.  A few extra minutes in the day will go far for meeting your need requirements.

Delegate!  Another example, hubby's hunting season is having to be cut short (at least for today) because I have so many responsibilities I need his help with some.  This involves picking up kids, chasing them while I'm typing, helping make a meal for a woman who had a baby, etc.  He can help with this.  And why shouldn't he?  His list isn't half as long as mine is - another post on why this is later. 

So, when you think you just don't have the time, sit down and figure out where your time is going.  I guarantee, you can deduct some from something else and be more productive for it. 

Now, if you schedule yourself to the minute make sure you allot time for things outside of your control - like the kids running off with your oven mitt and dinner not getting done on time, eaten on time or kids off to bathe on time.  This is not a good thing because it snowballs and makes for a cranky mommy.