It’s never too late: Why time management is key
Anything and everything can be decluttered, including time itself. No, you don’t have to be Doctor Who (for the uninitiated, he’s a time lord) to take control of time, all you have to do is learn how to implement time management into your life.
Declutter your schedule
This is where your time management should start. Whether you’re aware of it or not, you have a schedule. Maybe you don’t have meetings at work penned into your diary every day, but more likely than not at some point in the week you’ll go shopping, refuel your car, pick up the kids, things like that.
The sooner you understand the way your life works, the better. Where are your routines? Start planning ahead. What is the best time to shop, what is the most efficient time to head into work. See if there are changes you can make. Sometimes all it takes is a switch from driving your kids to school to sending them on the bus, to give you an extra 15 minutes of productivity at the start of the day. You’ll be a time management pro in no time at all.
If you’re in the business of selling pre-loved items online, instead of spending time packaging and driving to the Post Office to send to the buyer, why not list the item on online classifieds site, Gumtree? Gumtree is more than just your average marketplace, it has a local presence meaning buying and selling goods online is no longer a hassle.
A spokesperson from Gumtree said: “We know our customers love Gumtree for its simplicity and easy-to-use nature, plus the ability to find a good deal locally. You can post an ad on the site for free with just a few clicks and even organise the buyer to collect direct from your door, helping to save on delivery costs.
Time management 101: replace and reduce
Look at all the aspects of your life and ask yourself where you can replace routines and reduce time spent doing things you don’t feel you want to be doing. Time management pretty much comes down to this. It’s in the name; you want to be managing your time, that way you’ll be in full control of your life.
Replace the time you spend in front of the TV…with exercise. Try to spend no more than an hour a day in front of the telly. This is wasted time. Why not go out outside and exercise, even if it’s just a walk.
When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins, which trigger a positive feeling in your body. You will lower your anxiety and have time to think and clear your mind, rather than being bombarded with unnecessary information by your TV.
This same principle can be applied to magazines and newspapers. Limit all the non-essential information flows in your life.
Figure out what truly gives you joy and ditch the rest. And when you have a spare hour or two, exercise rather than slouching around in front of your TV or computer. Here’s a statistic to inspire you: According to Thomas Corley, author of “Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals”, 67% of rich people only watch TV for one hour or less per day. Also, just 6% of the wealthy watch reality shows, while 78% of the poor do.
Do you hate that Wednesday night dance class you attend? Stop going, there are plenty of other ways to stay fit. Try Yoga, try Karate, try anything, the world is your oyster. Fed up with your weekly brunch with Karen and Sue? End it, you will feel better by making sure you are happy and not always doing what everyone else wants you to do.
Does social media drain your time? Cut it out. It’s as simple as that. The people that matter in your life will still be there even if you can’t browse through their holiday photos from last summer in Greece.
Your WELL-BEING comes before everything
Stress is a key issue in modern society. Often we are more stressed if we have less time. So, simply put, you can decrease stress by giving yourself more time. Make sure you have the time you need and aren’t always rushing around trying to get somewhere. If you plan your life the right way, you should make sure to give yourself plenty of “me time,” because as you know you can’t have “time” without “me”.
