How to find time when it feels like there isn’t any
- Karen Wilson: Family Corner
- June 14, 2023
- 436
Have you struggled with finding time to fit in things you would like to do or need to do? Me too.
I have read and listened to a variety of ideas and suggestions over the years and have implemented many.
Most articles on how to find time involve cutting back on television, social media and video games. Done. I not only minimize those activities; I just don’t do them at all. When I tell people this, they generally say they don’t do much either. However, later in the conversation, it often becomes apparent the activities are still part of their lives.
Full disclosure: I do make one exception on the television thing. Because I do most of my running on a treadmill, I do watch running videos and a couple of old science fiction series while I run. I can’t stay motivated long looking at a blank wall.
I also find suggestions that involve doing things while you wait in doctors’ offices. Thankfully, we have a very healthy family, so that isn’t going to give me significant time to work on things.
Batching activities, grouping similar tasks, appears popular, and I agree that can work. I try to have designated days for errands. I do my regular paperwork and accounting in one effort. Although I generally file things as I go, if papers pile up, I do all the filing at one sitting.
So if you have tried a lot of the suggestions, and truly do them, and you still feel the need for more time, what else can you do?
How about going as simple as possible? Start cutting into the basics.
Fast. Skip a meal or two and use the time you spend preparing food and eating to do something else. If you have a family to feed, put a big batch of something in the slow cooker or cook double batches of things so they can help themselves to leftovers. Take any medical conditions into account, of course.
Simplify your look. During my college years, the women in my major would often start out the semester looking pretty good. Our hair and makeup were done. We wore nice-looking outfits. But the end of the semester was totally different. Sweatshirts, T-shirts, jeans, ponytails and clean faces were the best we could manage.
Wear a uniform. Steve Jobs is well-known for wearing the same thing every day. It does save time and mental energy. For me it looks like this. I have a bunch of grey T-shirts and carpenter jeans that I wear every day for doing farm work. My writing and around the house uniform is better-fitting jeans and blue T-shirts. Depending on the season, I wear button-down shirts or sweatshirts over the T-shirts. I’m not going to win any style awards, but I can get dressed fast. My cows, chickens and computer don’t care about my outfit.
Alternatively, know what pieces of clothing and accessories work together so you don’t have to figure it out every time. I had a list when I worked in an office every day. I also had one for packing for business trips.
Do the worst first. Doing the thing that causes you stress first will get it off of your mind, and you’ll feel like you have less to do.
Keep good lists. Maintaining good lists means you know what needs to be done and when. Have a list for each store you frequent. You’ll save unplanned or multiple trips. Make sure your family knows to inform you of what they need in advance. We use a list on the refrigerator.
Some people advise cutting into your sleep hours, but in my case, that just makes me too tired to work efficiently. It might be worth a try but take careful note of your mood and productivity to decide if it’s a workable solution for you.
Filling all the roles in our lives can consume every moment and leave us gasping and exhausted. And sometimes we really do need more hours in a day. If you have cut some of the obvious time wasters, try getting really serious about how you use each hour. Just remember you will need a break at some point. You may even want to schedule rest time as you go.