“The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.” – Stephen R. Covey.
How do you balance it all: work, family, home, hobbies? For the busy professional, having to juggle multiple schedules can lead to overwhelm, stress and depression—but when the responsibilities only increase, how can you make the most of your 24 hours and still find peace and joy?
Of course, there is this well-known concept called time management. But just like with diets and lifestyle programs, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to managing the routine that’s right for you. You need to invest in time like you invest in everything else that matters to you.
It must be about comfortable prioritization and personal flexibility.
For almost my entire life, I had been on a non-stop adrenaline rush. I mean non-stop. From one goal to the next, I hardly took a breath between personal, professional and social endeavors. At some point in my overscheduled life, I had to stop, re-evaluate and strategize. I couldn’t continue on in a fast-paced life of accomplishment and responsibility.
In my journey to my present-day time balance, here are some tips that I learned along the way. Perhaps some of these might resonate with you and help you cull down the time demands.
1. Pace Yourself. Set your priorities—what truly has a deadline, and what is self-inflicted? Must everything on that list be done, or is there room to delegate to another, streamline or even dismiss it entirely? Not every idea needs to be pursued; you can always shelve it for a later point in time when you have less demands. Allow yourself some flexibility by prioritizing and revising timelines as needed.
2. Cut Back on Time Wasters. Ever hear of the “latte factor” when it comes to saving money? Same concept applies for time. What is eating away at your daily time? Keep a log for a week of how you spend each half hour, and you would be surprised at how much “extra” time you can find when you add up the social media checks, endless emails, internet surfing, television watching and more that add little to no value in your daily life. That extra hour of sleep could either revitalize you or allow you one additional hour of productivity in the morning. That 90 minutes cut in random internet time will allow you to end your work day earlier to spend time with family or do something you love.
3. Say No—with Respect. Stop taking on projects, favors and “must dos” that aren’t in alignment with your business, your schedule or even your heart. For some people, saying “no” is difficult, and it feels like you are letting that person down. However, that burden is not your responsibility. Assess the time and energy it will take first, and then feel empowered to decline or simply postpone if it isn’t in your best interest. If a true professional or friend, the other person will understand and respect your decision.
4. Time Blocks. Have a lot of phone calls you need to make, paperwork to fill out and emails to respond to? Carve out chunks of time to get like-minded tasks out of the way all at once instead of spread out throughout the day or week. For instance, make Tuesday mornings your standard call-back times (add more days/time blocks if you are frequently on the phone). One of the biggest time killers is email; so, consider only checking emails maybe four times over the course of your day, and close out your inbox in between so you are not distracted by the dings of new messages (trust me, if it is urgent, they will call you!).
5. Schedule Breaks. Way to be spontaneous, right? Well, actually, if you schedule your time in such a way that allows you flexibility in fulfilling responsibilities, you automatically have a window of spontaneity to have fun, handle emergencies, etc. You also need to set aside time for your own personal space. By making sure you have just a little bit of time each day dedicated to yourself, you’ll find that you have more energy and willpower to take care of the rest. “Put your own oxygen mask on first,” as they say.
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