Time… It is out of our control, it passes, and you cannot stop it.
Sometimes you wish you could make more time. I am sure that it happened to you to say: ‘I just do not have enough time to do it all…’ and you got the answer ‘You have to make the time’. Easy to say but not easy to do.
What you can do when you do not have enough time to do everything what you want to do and/or everything what you have to do?
1.Prioritise.
Think what needs to be done earlier, what is more important and what can wait (see examples below):
- What your boss may ask for first (if you have one)?
- Which Client is more demanding?
- What is more needed in the fridge?
- What requires review and more attention?
- Which child gets up the latest?
- What pays your bills?
Of course, you will create your own priority list.
2. Double task or maybe even triple task (see examples below):
- If you are an office worker and you are printing some file of 100 pages, you can at the same time look up the emails and/or leave something in the binding machine.
- If you are an office worker and you are on hold on the phone you can read or look up something else like emails or complete something on the system.
- When you perform something what you are good at and confident at and you are like an ‘automated machine’ with it, you could do that and another activity. You know yourself what you are the best at.
- While you are cooking or baking your food you can at the same time empty your dishwasher or prepare veggies. Cooking food in the oven is very handy as you do not have to keep looking if it is not boiling too much.
- When you are commuting on the train or bus you can read, sleep, watch webinar, learn Spanish, finish off your make up etc
3. Do short runs of each activity which is urgent. I practiced myself 15 mins ones or one hour 2-3 times a week. They are plenty of options depending on how much time you have and your current life situation. (see examples below):
- 15 mins emails, 15 mins post, 15 mins update database, 15 mins look up some info on the system
- 15 mins exercise, 15 mins learning foreign language, 15 mins of some training,15 mins beauty mask
- 3x per week walk for 40 mins or every day 20 mins
- 4x per week go through your old stuff at home and see if you need all of that
4. Attack and do something what you are afraid the most, what is difficult or time consuming. Joseph Murphy was talking about this in the chapter about fear in “Power of subconscious mind”.
5. Break the big task into smaller bits and do them daily or weekly for example for 15 mins or one hour.
6. Prepare you daily, weekly, or even monthly planning in your head or write it down.
7. Practice and master the activities which you find more difficult or time consuming.
8. See if you can reduce the duration of certain activities or get rid of them completely.
9. Get rid of all type of clutter at home, at work and in your head. That may consume your time too.
10. Ask for help your colleagues, partner, family, friends, teach your kids to help you. Quite simple, but we do not always think about it. Don’t we?
11. When you are really stressed out get fresh air, breath in and out maybe 10-20 times, drink some water, stretch your back as all the stress goes there. Or simply do whether relaxes you.
12. Start to meditate. You do not have to do any complicated yoga position. You could meditate by going on 20 mins nature walk, repeating positive affirmations, or doing some physical activity etc.
13. See if you can reduce the time you spent looking up on your mobile.
14. Remember if you do not eat well, sleep enough, being physically active you cannot expect from yourself to be in the best form.
15. Finally, reward yourself for progress and achievements.
Sounds like fun. You can create all types of combinations depending on your needs, personality, and life situation.
You may say that is not always possible, that you are so stressed out, busy and tired that you cannot think like that.
I will tell you that any progress is always better than nothing.
You are only one person and you can do only what you can do, but you have a huge potential.
Small steps lead to good progress and they will give you a nice feeling of achievement and relief that you have moved something, that there is less to do or there are less urgent things to do.
Furthermore, you have to do something if you want to change your situation.
Sitting and doing nothing will not help you, chaotic actions may cause more mess and stress.
So, now it is up to you what you are going to do. Go and do some action!
I will keep my fingers crossed for you.