Yes, You Have Enough Hours in the Day

Remember when technology was supposed to make things easier and more efficient? There would be more hours in the day, more time to get things done and more freedom? Unfortunately, if today’s lifestyle is any indicator, the opposite is true. Most people run from one thing to another in the quest to get stuff done (and hopefully, in doing so, find some modicum of peace).

Time is actually a manmade construct, but it’s fixed and predictable. Every day has 24 hours. Every week has seven days. Most of the time, based on the season, you can gauge when the sun will come up and when it will set. You know the hours your employer needs you there, or when your child’s school starts, or when the exercise classes are held each week. You might even know the train schedule, and with the advancements of apps like Waze, you can even gauge how long you might be stuck in traffic!

So if you know all of the data around time, and you have the facts to work with, why is time so elusive and what is the need to run around and be late for everything? Most people operate as if time controls them. They believe time has the upper hand and it steals from them. “if only I had a couple more hours in the day,” they say. “If only the class ended a little earlier, the train ran more often, the store hours were better…” If you believe you are always running but getting nowhere, it might be time to take back your days, your weeks and your years. Time doesn’t stand still, so you have to grab it and determine whether you will allow it to control you or you will take control of it.

But sometimes there really aren’t enough hours to do everything you want to do, and perhaps need to do. The reality is that, especially for the working parent or the professional who travels, or the person who needs to work three jobs to make ends meet, the “rat race” is real. You might not be able to shift the requirements on you, but you can shift the way you manage your approach to time and to your commitments. Let’s look at some things you can try starting NOW to prove you are in control.

1. Learn to say “no”. Yes, that’s the first step you can take. The adage “if you want something done, give it to a busy person” was created because busy, constantly moving people tend to get things finished – somehow. In turn, they are the ones who are asked to participate, to donate, to volunteer, to take on a new job, to help out and to run something. They continue to add to their plates until their plates are overflowing. Sometimes what they are doing ceases to be fulfilling and fun, because it is simply too much. Be careful about what you say “yes” to. Consider your existing commitments and if you will be putting an unnecessary burden on yourself, just say “sorry, I’m tapped out at this point and can’t do this.” It’s amazing how once you say “no”, you will be more comfortable the next time. Eventually, people stop asking you, so just practice it.
2. Become obsessive about calendaring. Use whatever device works for you – Outlook on your computer, apps on your phone, an old-fashioned paper-based calendar you carry around, whatever medium you can commit to and will use on a regular basis – use it. Then put everything – absolutely, positively everything – in your calendar. It’s best if you can somehow code things too. Color-coded works well or using a different font or color of pen. Do something so when you eyeball your calendar you know where your time is going. This serves two purposes – first, you can see clearly where you spend the most time and you might realize you are over-committed in certain areas, and second, you have a good picture of how much time you need to spend on certain projects or tasks.
3. When using to-do lists or calendaring, learn to chunk. Chunking is breaking down everything you need to do into very discrete, small bite-sized pieces. For example, let’s say you pick up your child at school every day at 2:45 p.m. You might have the pickup time on your calendar, but do you block the 25 minutes it takes you to drive to the school and the 15 minutes it takes to drive your child to the after-school program he or she attends and the 20 minutes to get back home (don’t forget to allow for traffic!)? Most people will only block the actual task “Birthday party from 2-4:30” but they won’t block the time to shop for the gift they need to bring, the driving time to pick up friends who are carpooling, and the time they will need to get home. It’s the same with to-do lists. If you are planning the birthday party yourself, don’t just list “Plan Birthday Party”. List every tiny task associated with planning the birthday party and put them into the calendar in smaller tasks with time blocks. The more you capture everything you need to do, and break down what you need to do into small bites, the better organized you will be about all of it.
4. Visual reminders can be good. If you use an online calendar, be sure to set reminders to pop up. If you can afford it, buy a whiteboard or corkboard to post visual to-dos with timelines and expectations. It can be helpful to see larger responsibilities in plain view, so you know what you need to be working on or considering. You can also buy one of the Family Style calendars that allows you to list all family members’ activities, so you know where everyone needs to be. Leave this hanging in a place where everyone can see it and know where they need to be.
5. Become as organized as possible. The messier your desk, your bedroom, your kitchen and your back hall, the harder it is to find what you need in a timely manner. Want to go to exercise class tomorrow? Put your bag together tonight with everything you need, and place it by the door so you are ready to grab it when you want to go. Enjoy making lunches for your children? Have the carrots cut up, the bread slices in the sandwich bag ready to be made and the cookies baked the night before. Want to visit friends and family you never get to see? Write their names and numbers on a list you take with you and next time you are caught standing in line or stuck in traffic (if you have a safe way to make the call), call them with dates and times you are available and schedule a time to get together. Need to write thank-you notes for gifts you have received? Take them with you when you have your hair done and while the color is setting, address the envelopes so they are ready to go. There are a million ways you lose time because you aren’t prepared to use it when you have it. Organize yourself so you are ready in advance to use every bit of time given to you. You will never have “wasted time” again if you are ready to use it.
6. Take control of your day at the outset. Before you leave your house or begin your duties at home, make sure you have a clear list of priorities of what you need to accomplish. This should be a written list that guides you throughout the day as you go about your activities. If you find yourself getting caught up in something that is really just a time suck (i.e., too much time on social media or watching a lousy TV show), bring your attention back to what you need to accomplish. If you can get your priorities done, you will feel much better about your day!