“Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time we have.” – John C. Maxwell
Although I love spring and the optimism of hoping to enjoy a few months outdoors, as well as maintaining indoor living to a manageable state, I find it exhausting trying to keep up.
Spring comes and with it comes additional duties that require time and effort, like spending time in greenhouses buying bedding plants, planting the garden, weeding perennial beds, putting out summer décor, possibly repainting the fence, and much more. This, along with a full-time working schedule, maintaining the house, doing laundry, buying groceries and making meals, and still finding time to relax and have some ‘Joan-on-her-own’ time…at this point, I feel like I’m losing the game.
So, I went to my online dad…’the internet’ to see about some possible solutions to optimize time. Of course most people know a lot of the pointers, but do we always put them into practice? I would venture to say not so much!
Efficiency, productivity, and prioritizing are probably key words in this discussion. And how do you become more productive and efficient? Well, by creating a schedule or list of things to accomplish to help you prioritize what’s important in the here-and-now.
An article at indeed.com https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-do-i-create-and-stick-to-daily-schedule tells you exactly what the benefits are in doing so and what you need to do:
• “Daily schedules make us more efficient and save time
• “Schedules help you prioritize what’s important
• “Schedules help us get the most important tasks accomplished each day
• “Have a schedule can increase self-confidence and momentum to persist
And then what? You need to self-manage:
• “Make a list
• “Structure your day
• “Plan your day in advance
• “Combine related tasks”
• "Concentrate on the task at hand"
For individuals, energy levels vary from person to person. A really great pointer is to tackle the difficult tasks when your energy level is the highest. Productivity times can changes throughout the years, but unfortunately maintaining that optimal productivity level throughout the course of each day is improbable. Breaks and rests need to be implemented; be mindful of your energy levels.
So, what do you get at the end of a hard day?
Time to ‘stop and smell the roses’ and maybe even a glass of ‘wine to make you shine’ because of the satisfaction that radiates from you as you glory in your accomplishments.
Now what’s on the list for tomorrow?
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
