“Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing.” – Thomas Jefferson
We can never have enough time. But there are quite a few habits we can apply to make our lives better. Every day can have more time in it if you grow you your time management skills with these ideas.
Never hit the snooze button
The snooze button can feel tempting in the mornings, but it rarely does anything actually good for us. It can make us late and also worsens our sleep quality. The better idea is to get up with the alarm.
The snooze button can still a lot of time while you are not achieving much, as it is proven to worsen your quality of sleep. Get up and do your morning routine. If you feel tired in the mornings, the best solution is to go to bed a bit earlier, rather than trying to gain back your sleep through those extra few minutes the snooze button affords.
Schedule everything
It’s important to have a clear idea of what you will be doing, so schedule everything. Focus on your appointments and other important things, but also try to schedule your daily tasks. Decide when you will have your leisure, when you will go to the bank or do the groceries. This will help your days become more precise, and you won’t find yourself having to wait for someone or something to start.
Sometimes, things can be unpredictable. But if you have a clear schedule for most days, you will minimize the amount of wasted time. Planning beforehand also saves a lot of time and effort linked to deciding what to do next.
Plan your meals
Preparing food is a task that you can do once or twice a week if you’re smart about it. There are hundreds of resources that will teach you how to plan your meals and prepare for each week, while still maintaining variety.
You can do meal prep, so that you don’t waste time every day deciding what to eat, what to cook, or having to order takeout because there is nothing else. Dedicating time to it beforehand can save you a lot of hours throughout the week.
Leave a space for exercise
It’s not easy to maintain an exercise habit, but it’s great for you. It can increase your energy levels and give a boost to your day-to-day. Make sure to plan for exercising beforehand, so that you always find the time to get it done.
You can link exercise to another habit, for example, go to the gym after work or before work every day. But if you don’t plan for it, you might find yourself instead heading over to the couch. Don’t delay it and don’t think twice, just build a habit that you do regularly.
Set your work boundaries
Being helpful is a virtue, but there comes a point when it can become too much. Learn to set your boundaries, and it will give you a lot more time to spend on your tasks and your rest.
Setting boundaries means knowing when you have to or want to say no and doing it. It also means turning off your phone after you leave the office and giving yourself the time you need to rest and get ready for another workday, without the office intruding in your personal life.
Use the morning to be productive
Morning hours are the most productive ones for many people. But we often let them slip by when we do other things, like texting, browsing social media, or something else. Instead, you can build a morning routine that fits different tasks, like work, personal projects, exercise, and whatever else you don’t find time for during the day.
The morning is a good time because we are less tired and better able to stay productive, creative, and active. So make sure you are not wasting the time you have. Make the mornings a productive time, and you can be surprised by how much it transforms the rest of your day and your life.
