{"id":6307,"date":"2012-03-13T20:15:47","date_gmt":"2012-03-14T00:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.relishments.com\/blog\/?p=6307"},"modified":"2012-03-13T20:15:48","modified_gmt":"2012-03-14T00:15:48","slug":"improving-my-time-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.relishments.com\/blog\/improving-my-time-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving My Time Management"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m pretty bad at time management.  So bad that I make myself, and often my husband, crazy.  Granted,  I tend to have more things to do than are possible in a given day.  But somehow I find time to read blogs and watch television and take naps.<\/p>\n

My bad time management affects my teaching, the quality and frequency of my blogging, my cooking and the cleanliness of my house, among other things.  I have a lot of worthwhile things I want to be doing–reading my book, fixing my blog, keeping in touch with friends– but at the end of most days they haven\u2019t happened and I feel frustrated.  Certainly I have time to make progress on some of the above, so why don\u2019t I?<\/p>\n

Lately I\u2019ve started being more intentional about the way I use my time.  It won\u2019t be the first time, I feel like I restart this quest for better time management every few months (like after I read 168 hours<\/a><\/em>).  Over the past couple months and weeks I\u2019ve made a few changes that have made my time better spent and my days less stressful.<\/p>\n

\"clock<\/a><\/p>\n

10 Things I\u2019ve Done Recently to Improve My Time Management<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Creating filters for my inbox<\/font><\/strong> \u2013 I made a filter in my Gmail account that automatically moves all the emails from stores (Amazon, Gap, Loft, etc) to a folder.  I never see them in my inbox, which keeps me from looking at them unless I really have the time and need to buy something.  Granted, I could probably unsubscribe from some of them, but I\u2019m just not there yet.<\/li>\n
  2. Preparing lunches the night before<\/font><\/strong> \u2013 I can\u2019t really take credit for this one, Brian does all the work.  But having our lunches made the night before cuts down on dishes because I wash them when I do the dinner dishes.  It also makes the mornings run much more smoothly.  Actually having time to think about what\u2019s going into the lunches also results in better meals.<\/li>\n
  3. Making an appetizing breakfast for the week<\/font><\/strong> \u2013 Whenever possible, we try to leave the house by 6:30 am.  That\u2019s generally too early for my stomach to want anything to eat.  Of course, the moment I get to school, I\u2019m starving.  Making a breakfast over the weekend, like a loaf of really good bread, helps me remember to eat or take some with me.  <\/li>\n
  4. Getting out of bed when the alarm goes off<\/font><\/strong> \u2013 Previously, I was a really big fan of the snooze button.  But my decision to start getting out of bed when my first alarm goes off has been excellent.  I don\u2019t feel any more tired than usual, I start actually getting ready (after hanging out and checking blogs for a bit) a half hour earlier than before and, as a result, we actually leave on time.   <\/li>\n
  5. Creating content before absorbing content<\/strong><\/font> \u2013 It shouldn\u2019t be news to anyone that my Google Reader is sort of ridiculous<\/a>.  I love reading other people\u2019s blogs and keeping on top of the news.  But once I start going through my Reader it\u2019s hard to get anything else done, including writing my own posts.  I\u2019ve been working hard to try to finish my own writing before spending hours reading other people\u2019s.<\/li>\n
  6. Using a to do list app<\/strong><\/font>  \u2013 I may have a lot of things to do, but I also do a pretty bad job of remembering them.  I\u2019ve tried a lot of different to do list apps for the web and my phone, but I think I\u2019ve finally found one that\u2019s stuck.  Astrid<\/a> allows me to sync my tasks between work, home and my phone; it\u2019s definitely helping me remember to get things done on time.<\/li>\n
  7. Spending most of my prep period in my room<\/font><\/strong> \u2013 After teaching several classes in a row, I really just want to take a walk and not think for a little while.  I have several good friends at work and I really like touching base with them during the day.  Unfortunately, when I do that I don\u2019t get a lot of work done.  Staying in my room except for essential errands means less grading and preparation that has to come home with me.<\/li>\n
  8. Using a Google Document to brainstorm posts<\/strong><\/font> \u2013 I love writing posts in Windows Live Writer, but we only have it installed on our desktop computer.  Sometimes I don\u2019t want to use the desktop and sometimes Brian\u2019s already using it.  So I have a Google Doc that I use to draft, brainstorm and list post ideas.  Then when I\u2019m ready to turn them into real posts, I just copy them into Live Writer, fix the formatting, add photos and publish.<\/li>\n
  9. Sitting at the kitchen table instead of on the couch<\/strong><\/font> \u2013 Sitting in a real chair makes me so much more productive than lounging on the couch.  At the table, I can\u2019t see the television or be distracted by what Brian\u2019s doing on the computer.  I\u2019m also less inclined to decide that a nap seems like a good choice.<\/li>\n
  10. Going to bed at a reasonable hour<\/strong><\/font> \u2013 This one is, hopefully, a no-brainer.  If I\u2019m well rested, I\u2019m more focused and motivated during the day.  As a result, more stuff gets done and I don\u2019t feel the need to sleep in the middle of the afternoon.  If going to bed before 9:00 makes me an old lady, I\u2019m okay with that.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    image via <\/em>Candie_N on Flikr<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

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