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Time management is an art. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not all about to-do lists and schedules. However, I do teach about those a good deal here too, right? Time management is about finding ways to enrich your life with joy, love, peace, and creativity. We juggle so many responsibilities and passions, in and out of our homes, that we find ourselves looking for balance between productivity and personal fulfillment. Today, we are going to look at techniques that will help you to do so many things for your time management: organize your day, encourage and nurture your creativity, and live the abundant, joyful life you are called to lead.
Embrace the Rhythm of Your Life
You have a natural rhythm; we all do. Understanding that rhythm is one of the keys to effective time management. Think about this. What time during the day are you most inspired to do things? When do you have the most energy? If you answer honestly, it’s possible to tailor your schedule around when you are more likely to be creative. If you have more energy in the mornings (not me!), you could do the harder tasks for the day at that time. However, if you’re a night owl (me me me!), set aside that time for those endeavors in the evenings.
Personalized Time Blocks
You’ve probably heard about time blocking, right? You haven’t? Time blocking is when you set aside (schedule) times during your day to get things done. For example, if you know you are going to work out, cook, read, and do laundry, you put blocks of time on your schedule to complete each of those.
Don’t put too much time though. Your tasks will expand to fill the time. For example, if you only need 20 minutes for laundry but you give yourself 45 minutes, the laundry will take 45 minutes. Block your time according to what you actually need so you can get more done.
Time blocking helps in organizing the tasks you have to complete, and it also sets boundaries for when you will work and when you will rest.
For instance (for a morning person):
- Mornings: work in deep concentration; no distractions; most productive
- Afternoons: collaborative projects; family activities; productive group time
- Evenings: relaxation; reflection; journaling; prayer and meditation; quiet time
Prioritize and Delegate
Prioritizing your tasks allows you to put your energy to its best use. When you make your to-do list, be sure that you identify the 2-3 things that are “must dos” for the day. (Actually, you should complete your to-do list as part of your nightly routine, so it would be for the next day.)
To do this, ask yourself which tasks most strongly align with your goals and values. Those 2-3 things will be your priorities for that list. Next, figure out if there is anything that you can eliminate. These could be things that you want to do but don’t have the time, energy, or money to do right now. If there are some of these things on the list, eliminate them for now. It may be that you will find a way to do them on a later date. Just don’t include them on this list because having too many things on your to-do list can cause stress and anxiety in your time management plan.
Finally, if there are things on your list that have to be done but you don’t have time to do them, delegate them. Find someone else who can do the task(s) in an acceptable way. Here’s a friendly reminder (for me as much as for you): it’s okay to ask for help from those who support you–friends and family. It’s also okay to use tools and technology to make things more streamlined in your life.
Tools to Assist
There are so many online tools and apps that are designed to help with task management and delegation. You can use these tools as a “secret weapon” to give yourself an advantage when it comes to finding ways to have more time for creative activities.
If you are anything like me, and some of you may be, I’m still very analog when it comes to my lists and planners. Planners are a great way to keep things right in front of you, and most of them have room for you to put your to-do lists so you can check them during your morning routine.
Integrate Creativity with Daily Tasks
We all know that there are some tasks that are just boring, mundane. Just because they aren’t fun doesn’t mean we don’t have to get them done. Find ways to make these tasks more enjoyable. Use some of your creativity to liven up these activities. While you’re working on laundry (can you tell that’s what I need to do today?), listen to your favorite music. Check out a podcast, an audiobook, or an inspirational TED Talk to make the activities more enjoyable. Adding some creativity to these boring activities can change them from chores into times of joy and learning. (Okay, so they will still be chores.)
Rest and Rejuvenation
Time management doesn’t only mean that you are making time to do more. It also means that you are making time to do less. Improving your time management means that you have time to rest like your body needs it. When you are working on time blocking, be sure to include time for downtime, breaks, relaxation, and proper sleep. By the way, did you know that before the light bulb was invented, people slept an average of 11 hours a night? (Think about that fact!) As you plan out your day with your priorities, include periods of rest. These times can be used for sipping tea, coffee, or hot chocolate (my personal favorite!).
Nurturing Your Inner Self
When you are resting, find things that nurture your inner self. Practice self care during this time. Take a few minutes to read your Bible–grab a Bible study or a Bible reading plan. Spend time in prayer and meditation with the Father. Maybe spend some time writing in your journal–write short stories, poems, or random thoughts for the day. Taking care of your inner self is a source of inspiration when you reflect on your faith and your relationship with God.
Conclusion: Creativity as a Lifestyle
When all is said and done, time management is about using the right techniques to design the lifestyle you need and desire. This lifestyle will help your creativity to flourish and help you to accomplish great things. When you adopt these time management strategies, you will transform your home into a safe place where things run efficiently and peacefully. (Peacefully is subjective. You know that, right?)
If you are looking for some thoughts about how to spend your time, check out this set of posts about hobbies. If you need me to convince you that scrapbooking is a great hobby and an amazing way to cherish your memories and calm your mind, check out this post. There are many other resources on the blog to help you on your journey of faith and becoming a better time manager. Stick around and check them out.