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Since I graduated from high school, I have lived all over. I have experienced staying in a coed dormitory, lived with a family with 3 little noisy kids, rented a 3-bedroom condominium with 9 other friends, and been squeezed into a little bedroom with 5 other roommates. Talk about having a hard time managing time! Today I’ll share 6 ways to manage time more effectively.
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How To Manage Time More Effectively
Living under one roof with that many other people wasn’t easy, but it taught me a lot of things about dealing with them and respecting boundaries. Here’s what I learned.
1. Defend your boundaries but learn to respect other people’s boundaries as well
So when my husband and I agreed to move back to his home country, I knew that living with in-laws would be one of the greatest challenges that I had to face.
Everything was going well until one day, while we were in our room and my husband was resting from a very hard day at work, we heard a loud knock. Thinking that it might be important, we immediately opened the door.
Turns out, it was his sister asking for Q-tips.
It was followed by a series of similar events. One time while my husband and I were both in deep sleep in the middle of the night, we heard someone calling from the window. We got jumpy and thought that it was an emergency.
When we checked who it was, it happened to be my brother-in-law asking us to open the door for him.
I mean, seriously? The Q-tip couldn’t wait and he couldn’t call his wife to open the door for him instead?
2. Treat other people’s time as you would your own
They knew my husband was tired from working the whole day. I wasn’t sure if they were just being insensitive or they just didn’t have manners, but whatever their reasons were, these things had to stop.
So, I talked to my husband and told him about needing to get respect for his time. We had an argument, of course, but it was a good thing because somehow I made him realize that those things couldn’t go on.
After he informed my in-laws about it, of course, there was a resistance period as I expected. I assured my husband that was okay. Their reaction was normal, especially because they were not used to hearing NO.
In the long run, it paid off. Our in-laws became more considerate of our time and my husband and I got our undisturbed, well-deserved sleep at the end of every day.
How many of us here can confidently say “I own my time”?
For those who said yes, bravo! I’m happy for you, but for those who said NO, here are some ideas to consider incorporating in your life to increase your productivity and be more practical with your TIME.
3. Spend time on activities that contribute to your growth and well-being
Try multitasking. Decrease your wasted time by doing something productive while you’re on the run, like having a quick bite while waiting in line or doing a project, or writing a report inside public transport while you’re stuck in traffic.
“5 Ways to Tap in Your Creativity During Your Lunch Break” presents various creative outlets that we could immerse in to re-energize ourselves in the second half of the day.
When I was working in a call center, many of my colleagues would de-stress themselves and free their minds through coloring books and drawing. I tried it too and it was actually pretty relaxing.
4. Increase the value of your time by challenging yourself in creating a new and unique experience using your imagination
I am talking about an alternative break. For all we know, traveling can be expensive and time-consuming.
It’s a good thing that Megan Stroup Tristao came up with these 5 suggestions to make your night feel like a vacation.
It’s basically hitting two goals in one shot. You get the feeling of traveling and save money at the same time, which actually brings you one step closer to financial freedom.
5. Learn how and when you can function effectively
Aside from identifying the time of the day when you can learn best and work productively, you should also look into getting enough rest and sleep.
Remember that you won’t be able to manage your time well if you’re in poor health.
Ladies, check this out – “Night Shifts May Be More Disruptive to Women than Men.”
If you’re on graveyard shifts, take care of your body, know the risks and consult a professional if you have to to keep your body rhythm balanced and healthy.
6. Generate free time and get things done in half the time you need
Cut out tons of time on consumptive habits that don’t really increase your worth.
And to help you transform your look on a frantic morning, here are 4 questions to ask yourself that will help you start your day right.
Own your time and use it wisely by avoiding poor choices and decisions. Treat time with respect. Be careful about who you give it to and how you spend it every day because it is one of the most important possessions that you never know how much you have until it’s gone.
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