Today's busy families manage multiple calendars. Whether you are high tech, low tech, or a blend of the two, we can help you get your calendars, tasks, and priorities organized so that you have more time for the things that are most important to you.
Time management tips
“If only I had time time…” seems to creep into all of our lives at one point or another. Often, significant events or changes like school schedules, work pressures, or life events can crowd out those projects that we “have been meaning to get to”.
Time is the great equalizer – we all have exactly the same amount of it. No amount of hard work, accolades, preparation or popularity will gain us more time. So why do we never have enough of it?
It is not getting time that allows us to be productive and do the things that we enjoy. Only by setting our priorities and expectations in advance are we are able to do the things most important to us.
Manage your expectations.A key to any successful time management is to determine goals. Where are you headed? Prioritize the things in your life that help lead you to that goal and make sure that you make progress on that goal in some way every week. What things are most important to you? Make sure that you have time for these things.
Put it all in one place.Have one organizational system. This is hard for many of us because we have multiple schedules to manage. However, having everything in one place prevents things from getting lost in the shuffle. For families, make sure that your calendar is visible to all members of the family.
Avoid distractions.Everyday we are faced with phone calls, emails, advertisements, and other minutae that demand our attention. By determining what our goals and priorities are, we are more prepared to ignore unhelpful distractions. Put your highest priorities first.
Learn to say no.It is hard to say no, especially to the people that we admire, respect, or love. However, being able to say no is an important part of any relationship. If you commit yourself to something that you do not have the time to do, then you damage the relationship to the person who you gave your word to. Your boss, spouse, friends, and even your children will benefit from knowing where your limits lie and what they can reasonably expect from you.
Communicate.Respond to requests, email, paper mail immediately. This leaves fewer to do items and less distraction to interrupt you down the line.
Taking charge of your time means making more time for the people and things you love!