Confession: When I think of all I need to do to be more intentional this year (and always and forevermore), it all comes back to time.
I’m pretty good at saving money. I can hold my own in the kitchen. I can whip up breakfast for a dozen hungry football players at 6 a.m. on Saturday mornings. I can weave my girls’ golden hair into beautiful french braids, and I rocked my sixth grade classroom for eight years. I can even shine the windows and floors with the best of ‘em, when I want to.
There’s a lot I can do, but when it comes to prioritizing and managing my time? I simply don’t.
After reading Tell Your Time, by my friend Amy Lynn Andrews (hey — my middle name is Lynn, too!) I realized the problem.
Respect.
I don’t respect my time. What’s sad is that by not respecting (and owning!) my time, I’m not respecting my husband, my children, or myself. Ouch.
May as well tackle the big things first, right? On my way to being more intentional, I am taking control of my time! Amy suggests budgeting my time just as I would my money. That’s what I’m going to work on starting now. I’m a little scared to keep track of my minutes and find out just exactly what it is I am doing with my 24 hours each day, but I’m way excited to take back control!
If you’re interested in reading Amy’s Tell Your Time for yourself, it’s on sale through January 7 for only $7! Enter code CLEANSLATE at checkout.
Now tell me… what are your time tricks? How do you get to the end of the day satisfied with the way you managed your time?
Funny you say that. One of the reasons I chose “intentional living” as my word(s) for the year was the outcome of my goal list. Almost everything on it listed “schedule time for it” as the obstacle to acheiving the goal.
This is the year, Amy! This is the year!
Lately I’ve started tracking my time using Google Calendar. I really like that I can enter activities in half-hour increments. Now, I’m not married and I don’t have kids at this stage of my life, but I’ve got plenty on my plate. I try to be honest with myself and put down an hour of internet, if that’s what I did with my time.
I also like that I can color-code Google Calendar, so with a quick glance I can see the blocks of time I did things for work, school, projects, relaxing, etc. There was a lot of pink/relaxing over Christmas, but now I’m back to more red/work blocks!
I have started and stopped with Google calendar more times than I can count. Need to start again.
This is so true! It is such a good idea in the beginning of the year to take inventory of how you spend your most precious asset!
Oh Amy, I feel like I could have written this post myself!! I love the idea of balancing my time like my finances. Of course, my finances aren’t in the greatest shape right now so maybe that speaks to my time is the same way
Glad to have company.
Ok i may surprise you but i don’t manage it…I just enjoy it…Spend all my time with my 3 year old and kids activities. I get diner done, do what i want…I keep it cool. I sleep, do fun things and not worry about the small stuff.
And if my house is dirty, i don’t care. I am not trying to impress someone….That’s me and my “joie de vivre”
XO
Frenchy
My be I need to go vacation at your place for a while.
Ugh. I really struggle with this too! We do keep a schedule/routine with our big crew of 7, but it’s really more of a guideline. However, what helps me the most is to always keep in mind what things are the highest priority and make sure that is done above all else. Time with the Lord, individual time with each child, quiet time in the evening with hubby – if those things are done, then everything else falls into place. But if those things are neglected, NOTHING goes right!
I like that “system” and I need to better follow it myself!