Time Management 1.4: Creating Your Plan

Now that you know what’s important and what’s not, we can look at how to create a plan that works for you.  We’re not yet at the color coded Excel spreadsheet yet (though you can make one at this point if you want!).  Right now we’re just creating a basic plan.

Okay, take out your happy list, your categories list, and your “what to get rid of” list.

We’re going to make a weekly chart.

Take out a clean sheet of paper.  You can do this in Excel, too, if you like.  Turn it side-ways and across the top, write the days of the week.  Leave a column to write times on the right side and one to write notes on the left side.  I write out Monday through Sunday, because I like to see my weekend days together.  Do what works best for you.

Now, down the right side write the time (I recommend ½ hour to 1 hour increments) from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to sleep.  Consider how much sleep you need.  If you need 10 hours, make sure that’s included in your chart.  You can’t function with high energy if you’re too tired.  If you have to be up by 7am so that you can get to work on time, count backwards to determine what time you need to be in bed.

Once you’re done with that, write in the most important obligations, tasks, appointments, etc.  For instance, if you must be at work by 8am, put that in.  If you take your kids to school at 8:45 or must pick them up at 3:15, put that in, too.  If you write every day between 5am and 7am, put that in!  Now, based on the work we did last week, you should have gotten rid of any obligations that aren’t serving you or making you happy.  So, they shouldn’t go in your chart.

If you do have obligations that you’re not happy with, but can’t seem to get rid of, like scrambling to pick the kids up or rushing to get them to school, consider other options.

For instance, I was scrambling to drop off the kids and pick them up after working a 9 hour day.  Often, I was running late in both directions.  My husband and I had decided I would perform these tasks because my job was closer to the day care.  However, I was running ragged and never had a moment to breathe.  So, we considered other possibilities.  He decided he could start work later and take the kids in the morning.  This meant that I could go to work earlier and pick up the kids earlier, too.  Our children ended up in daycare less time, I felt less harried, and my husband and I shared the burden of pick up and drop off, making our family more relaxed and less rushed on either end of the work day.

What types of tasks are you performing that someone else can manage?  This can be work or home tasks.  What chores at home can be passed off to your kids?  Even a four year old can dust and help set the table.  And an intern make copies, schedule meetings and file.

Once you get in all of your obligations (make sure all daily items are repeated throughout the week), consider your happy list and your categories.  What hasn’t been in your schedule that you would like to have there?  It may not seem like you have the time, so consider items that can be done simultaneously, from tasks like talking to family and unloading the dishwasher to riding your bike with a friend or listening to music while you clean.

When I started looking at categories and themes in my happy list, I found that exercising was something I wanted to do, but not something I ever seemed to fit into my life.  I started pairing it with things I always included – like socializing with friends and reading.  I started going to the gym to ride an incumbent bike and read a book.  I spent an hour there relaxing and reading AND getting my exercise.  I felt refreshed and ready to take on the world when I was done – I also brought my kids to the kid’s place at the gym.  They loved it because they got to play with other children right after spending all day in school.  It really worked for all of us and I did four days a week.

Add in those things that you want to be a priority in your life, whether it’s a weekly date night or a daily walk.  It’s important; schedule it into your day.  This goes for writing time, too.  Also, it is okay if you’re only putting in 15 minutes a day to start.  Put it in!  It makes you happy and that means it’s essential to your well-being.

Okay, do you have everything in?  If you have monthly obligations, add that to your notes column, and be sure to add those into what ever calendar/organization system you use.

How does your weekly chart look?  Does it depict a better balance of work and play?  Does it include things that make you happy as well as things that make you feel productive?

As you schedule each week (I recommend you pick one day a week to do your scheduling) use your chart and be sure that the things on this chart get into the appropriate days first — before you plan anything else.  This will help you keep writing time sacred and date night important, and it will alert you not to schedule another appointment during that very precious time.  And keep in mind…it’s okay to slip up.  Don’t give up.  It takes practice to live by your priorities, but if you keep coming back to your chart for guidance, you’ll start to see a shift in the way you live.

I hope this helps you get started with managing your time!