How to Create Time in Your Day

How to Create Time in Your Day

We are all given 24 hours in a day, so how are some people able to be so productive and seem to get a million things done, while other people only manage to get two or three things done? The answer is in time management. Here are some ways to help you manage your time so you can get as much done in a day as you’d like.

First, remove dead time. Dead time is the time when you are just sitting around, maybe waiting for something. For example, dead time could be when you are sitting around waiting for the bus, maybe you’re on social media or playing some kind of game on your phone. It is perfectly fine to have those times in your day, but you should schedule it in, that way you know you have time to kill. A good way to kill some dead time could be when you’re in the car listening to the radio on your way to work. Instead of just listening to some music, you could use that time to listen to a podcast or an audiobook that teaches you about something you want to learn. For example, I listened to a podcast about how to grow my business when I was in the car driving to work. It is important to have times when you can just relax, but it is good to schedule them in.

Next, I already alluded to this, but make a schedule for your day. It may seem restricting or overwhelming at first, but give it a try because you’ll see the benefits pretty quickly. I schedule everything I do in the day from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep. If you finish something ahead of schedule, you can take the rest of the time to chill out and give yourself some chill time. One good thing about making a schedule for yourself is you can see the parts of your schedule you can combine. For example, I do my priorities of practice journal right between brushing my teeth and doing my exercise. Then at the end of the day I brush my teeth again as I reflect on my day.

A third way to maximize your time is to stay focused on whatever you are working on. It’s so easy these days for something else to grab your focus, like maybe you see a notification on your phone while you’re working and then of course you need to check your notification. When I’m practicing piano, I’m practicing piano. I’m not focusing on the next show I need to record, I’m not thinking about a phone call I need to make, all of my focus is on the piano. I give myself a time period to work on the different things I need to work on, and I focus all of my attention on that thing. Doing this you will be able to get farther and do better on the task.

One more thing you can do is stop taking on tasks that you don’t need to do. Sometimes we take on tasks that may either not really need to be done, or tasks that other people could be able to do better. You don’t need to devote your time to things that you aren’t required to do that other people can do better. For example, if your spouse is better at cooking dinner than you and has the time and enjoys doing it, why not let them cook for you. (although it's nice to surprise them every now and then and make them dinner)

Of course, you do need to have time to sleep, it is recommended to get about 7 ½ -9 hours of sleep each night. You also need to have time in your day to do things that you enjoy doing, and time to just relax. Look up at your surroundings and breathe, and enjoy the things around you. That will help you to destress and get your focus off of something that you may be struggling with.

I hope that these tips help you maximize your 24 hours. I would love to hear how you use your time! Drop me a message on instagram or facebook. You can find me at @Jonesinfor.