It’s Women’s Month and as women we often don’t prioritise ourselves. Women are usually working mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. And in an effort to keep all the balls in the air we may feel like the days, weeks, months and years are running away with us. Our children’s year seems to drag on in anticipation to being another year older or looking forward to the pile of Christmas presents under the tree. But as adults the year seems to flash by in an instant. This is not limited to women only and in order to alleviate the feeling of drowning in our day to day lives there are a few tricks we can keep up our sleeves.
So how do we slow time down? Here are my five tips:
1. Plan
You may have heard the old adage “Failing to plan is planning to fail”. This is true. Planning your day, week and month is important as it helps you stay on track. If you are not already doing so, you need to schedule tasks in your diary and stick to it!
2. Avoid distractions
Do you feel as if the days are flying by and you can’t get everything done in a day’s work? It may be because you are spending time doing the “fun things” which distract you from the important things? If you are not sure whether you are spending time on the right tasks, then use the “Eisenhower matrix” to assist you. Switch off your notifications for social media and social WhatsApp messages, ignore or filter your private calls and see how much time you gain.
3. Set deadlines
Set deadlines and stick to them. If you have realistic timelines, are planning and avoiding distractions at all costs – then why are you not meeting them?
4. Integrity
You may be asking how integrity fits into time management. How often do you have meetings scheduled when another one comes up, so you cancel meetings to fit in new meetings – it’s a vicious cycle. Unless it is life critical, do not cancel meetings to slot in another meeting. This will only result in you chasing your tail and upsetting people. In general, people understand you may have filled up your diary already and they will more than likely respect you for not shifting others around all the time. After all, nobody wants to feel like their time is less important to you than someone else’s. So do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it and stick to the first planned meeting.
5. Take time out
How will this save you time? By taking 30 minutes to eat your lunch (if possible, away from your desk), taking comfort breaks when needed and not at the last minute will make you feel less stressed. Think back to your days at school. You had set breaks and an established routine and it worked!
Try this for the next four months and December will seem a little further away.
Have a super month of August and Happy Woman’s day to all the wonderful woman out there.