6 Tips to Get It All Done and Still Have Me Time

With so many things to get done in a day, sometimes it can be hard to find time to do something that we actually enjoy.

I stopped doing art for years simply because I felt like I didn’t have time for it. But now that I am creating art again, I see that it’s something that really makes me feel good inside. When I have time to do something creative I feel happier and healthier and it’s Me Time that I don’t want to give up. 

Now that my boy is going on 7 years old my time is freed up a little bit more than it was. But what has especially made the difference for me over the last few years is implementing practical habits in my life that help me to be more productive. These habits leave me with enough time in the week for the things I must do and even a little time for the things I want to do. 

Here’s how I get everything that is important to me done and improve my productivity:

1. Write it down.

Life often goes a lot more smoothly when we’ve put a little forethought into a task. Many people have found that writing down a list of what needs to be done helps them to feel more organized and productive. Personally, I like to write my to-dos down in an agenda or planner throughout the week and add anything else that needs to be done the evening prior. A company near my home was giving away free promotional pocket-sized planners and I really like being able to bring the planner with me in my purse, that way I can write down an appointment immediately and it’s also handy to be able to write down something that needs to get done before it gets forgotten in my whirlwind mind.

Having plans for the day written down allows us to review what still needs to be done that day. Reviewing my agenda throughout the day helps me to think of the most effective way to get what’s on my list done and that saves me a lot of valuable time. It feels amazing to check something off that list and move on to the next chore. Honestly, I’ve never felt so productive in my entire life as I have since I started making my little lists.

2. Decide what is most important to you.

Make a list of your priorities. When our priorities are established a streamlined to-do list will follow. This will assist us in spending the correct amount of time on what is vital and not to waste any more time than is necessary on a less-than-crucial task.
 For example, my priorities are:

1. Spirituality. First and foremost in my life and to me it means studying the Bible, prayer, meetings and volunteering.
2. Family. Spending lots quality time with them.
3. Health. Preparing nutritious meals, regular exercise.
4. Homeschool. My son’s education is very important to give him a good start in life.
5. Managing our household. This involves, cleaning, laundry, making doctor’s appointments, hospitality and so on.

If something I am thinking of fits under one of these categories, it makes the to-do list. Going back to the last point, having all our to-dos written down helps determine if something is urgent, kind of important, or not really important at all and anything that has to do with our priorities makes the to-do list.


3. Simplify.

Own less.

Minimal visual clutter has made an enormous difference in my family’s life. We feel more at ease in our home without the weight of a million things on our shoulders and minds. I don’t waste time looking for things, because I know where they are and so does my family. We don’t have unfinished projects scattered around the house causing us stress and even guilt because we don’t have time to get them done. We only have what we need and use, which helps us to:

Spend less time cleaning.

While living in a clean and tidy environment makes life more enjoyable for everyone, no one wants to spend all their time cleaning. For that reason I make my cleaning routine as quick and easy as possible. Making my home more and more simple means that I don’t have a lot of things to clean or put away.

We can have our beds made in less than 30 seconds. How? Getting rid of top sheets. This trick has been saving me precious time for years and I never have an excuse to not make the bed. I personally feel that top sheets are unnecessary because I can just throw our duvet covers in the wash when they need it. That’s what I call efficiency.

Simplify meals.

Meal planning is efficient because we don’t have to spend time thinking of what to cook each day, it only requires a little bit of forethought once or twice a week. When we know what we will eat during the week we can decide what to prep for subsequent days. For example, I can chop ingredients all at once and mentally portion them out for others day. Something I do now most days of the week is make nutritious recipes that are simple and don’t require being in the kitchen for hours each day. I used to spend a lot more time cooking than I wanted to, now I will only make more “elaborate” meals when I can.
 
4. Avoid things that take up time and are not important
 
Has this ever happened to you? (Because it’s never happened to me- yeah right!) We sit down thinking we will take a little break, we pull out our phone and start to scroll. Before we know it, an hour has passed. The sad reality is that it would be very usual that this scrolling has any positive impact on our day. Yet, we can be easily addicted to it. Watching television can also steal our time, and just think, would you rather watch someone else do something that you like or be able to do it yourself?


5. There’s not enough time for everything

Realizing that there is simply not enough time in a day to do everything that comes to mind is a huge stress relief. The pressure to get everything done in a relatively short period of time is a lot to deal with. There will be things that we simply cannot do, so choose wisely.

6. Ask for help

Delegating responsibilities to my son. As he gets older he is getting more helpful around the house. My boy has his own little chores and that truly has helped free up some of my time and we are a productive team.

What has helped you to have more time to do what you enjoy? Please share in the comments