5 tips on time management
JEWELRY | COAT | JEANS | HEELS | SUNNIES
photos by Ban Avenue Photography
It was Benjamin Franklin who once coined the phrase, "Time is money" which is a very accurate and profound statement. The older I get, the more I realize just how valuable time truly is and I want to make the absolute most of it. With another little one on the way, it's hitting me hard that our schedule is going to be pretty thrown off for awhile come February and I need to really manage my time well once the baby gets here. I'll still take lots of time for snuggles and to enjoy that sweet, fleeting newborn stage, but life otherwise won't slow down between Zach and I's work schedules, Bear's school, and extracurricular activities so I need to be on top of organization.
Let's talk about the jewelry in this post for a second because I'm DYING over both of these pieces! I couldn't believe when I found this diamond Rolex watch at Shannon Fine Jewelry; it is technically brand new. A woman got it from her company as her 20 year gift but decided to trade it in for the cash instead. Shannon's has it for a fraction of what you'd normally pay which is a total steal- I don't technically own the watch (just got to borrow for this post which was a treat in itself) but I have been back and forth so many times on buying it myself because it's such a great deal! I love the Rolex even more paired with a little arm candy like this Hera bangle that can be worn solo or stacked. I especially like that both pieces have both silver and gold so they can be worn with anything; mixing metals never goes out of style and makes for such a timeless piece.
I feel like after 30 years of struggling to stay organized and manage time well, I finally have it (somewhat) down and plan my days pretty well. As I said before, this may all go out the window once the new baby arrives but for now, here are some tips I apply to help stay organized and manage my time:
1. Prioritize Wisely. When the topic of time management comes up with friends, the complaint I hear most often is that it's easy to get off task and forget about what really needs to be done. At the start of each week and day, when I'm going over our schedule in my planner, I make sure and evaluate & execute tasks using these categories:
Important and urgent — Tasks that must be done. Do them right away.
Important but not urgent — Tasks that appear important, but upon closer examination aren’t. Decide when to do them.
Urgent but not important — Tasks that make the most “noise,” but when accomplished, have little or no lasting value. Delegate these if possible.
Not urgent and not important — Low-priority stuff that offer the illusion of “being busy.” Do them later.
2. Just Say No. This is a difficult one for me because I'm a total yes-person, but I've learned to be better about saying no. You can only do so much in a day and if you spread yourself too thin, you won't accomplish what really needs to be done. And what's worse, you'll end up stressed out and exhausted in the process.
3. Plan Ahead. I am such a planner- I have to keep things written down or I'd never remember anything (I also have a terrible memory-just ask Zach). One of the worst things you can do is jump into the day with no clear idea about what needs to get done. The time you spend thinking ahead and planning your activities is trivial compared with the time you’ll lose jumping from one thing to the next (and rarely completing anything). Depending on your personality, try one of these planning options:
The night before — At the end of the day, take 15 minutes to put together a list of the next day’s most pressing tasks. It’s a great decompression technique, and you’ll get so much more accomplished the following day.
First thing in the morning — Get up a few minutes early and make a prioritized to-do list. This may prove to be the most productive part of your day.
4. Eliminate Distractions. This may be an obvious point but it's also a crucial one. How many times have you been working on a project or task really efficiently, only to get sidetracked by a phone call or surfing Facebook and suddenly you've wasted thirty minutes (and completely lost your mojo). It may take a massive exercise in will power, but try shutting your office door and/or turn off your phone to maximize your time. Instead of being “always on,” plan a break in the day to catch up on email, call people back, talk with co-workers, etc.
5. Delegate More Often. I can be a bit of a control freak at times so it's hard for me to delegate tasks, but it's always so refreshing and a huge relief when I do so. Sometimes I plan too much in a day and it helps when I ask Zach to grab groceries or have a friend pick Bear up from school. When we rely on others for help, it's always important to remember to return the favor when we can.
I hope you've all had an amazing weekend! The weather has been absolutely perfect in Houston this weekend so we've been trying to get outside and enjoy it as much as possible- Zach and Bear are currently out on a bike ride while I'm writing this post. We are getting so excited that Halloween is only two days away- holidays are just so fun with kids!
xo, Britt
*Thank you to Shannon Fine Jewelry for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own.