This is part 1 of a 5 part series (time management). As 2022 stumbles upon us, many of us will reflect on what that means moving forward. For me, I like to pick several items of focus to organize my life and set goals for my future.
And one of my biggest life areas of improvement over the last several years has been time management. So what are some key things to focus on to improve time management in the upcoming year? For each of us, that might look a little different.
Why is time management important?
Poor time management can cause all sorts of problems in our lives. We can feel more stressed and anxious. There can be disappointing times when we don’t accomplish all we set out to do or even need to do. So if procrastination is something you struggle with, then perhaps it’s time to start tackling the planning side.
What are my big tips for moving forward in the new year?
Effective time management is a skill that anyone can learn. It takes intentional practice and sometimes sticking to things over a longer period of time to make a habit.
- Reflect – When you find something taking up a bit chunk of your time, ask yourself if this is how you want to spend it? For example, maybe you should check your screentime and find out if social media is taking up more time than you realize. Or, scrolling through Netflix for hours each night is preventing you from starting that business or taking a step into something new. Don’t get me wrong. We all need our downtime and our own ways of de-stressing. I just know for me, personally, time passes way faster when I’m doing those activities.
- Plan – If time management is something you struggle with, start small. Wake up and plan your day. Then, move to planning a week. Then, a month. Then, start filling in your calendar for the year. To do lists, Google calendar, and time-saving strategies are your friends.
- Follow simple time management tips to get started – This was one of my first posts on this blog earlier in 2021. I wrote about 5 quick time management tips here and it was a pretty popular post. Check it out!
So, whatever stage of the time management process you are in, there is always room for reflection, planning, and following some simple tips along the way. Best of luck in your journey!