Habits to Adopt to Create More Time in Your Day.
Okay, we all say it; we could use more time! Well, here are my top tips for making more time in your day and using the time you have well.
Hear me out - the first one is a touchy subject, but if you can put these things into practice you'll be thanking me later!
1. Wake up earlier
o Okay, this is coming from a former night owl who hasn’t always had a good relationship with mornings. BUT when I say waking up earlier makes a big impact on my day, I mean it! Getting up 15-30 minutes before you normally would and allowing yourself time to start the day off right is the perfect way to dive into the day. I find, like most, that I start the day off behind if I sleep until the last possible minute. Not allowing myself time to take care of myself or start the day on the right foot.
o Waking up a few minutes earlier will allow you to get on the right page, take time to breathe deeply and mentally prepare for your day. Maybe you sneak in a workout, meditation, or some reading. Whatever it is for you, make time for it!
o Additionally, going to bed at a decent hour will help with your morning routine. With a toddler, full-time job and owning a business, I am often tired by sunset and ready to call it a night shortly after my daughter goes down to bed. This has hugely impacted my ability to get up just a little earlier since I am going to bed by 9 or 9:30pm nightly.
2. Set limits
o Do you find yourself aimlessly browsing social media? Spending 10 minutes (that turns into an hour) watching reels? Set limits. We can get lost on our phones to distractions and that isn’t a valuable way to spend our time. Cellphones now have screen limits and can be set up so it reminds you to log off, not allowing you back on until a certain time has passed. Personally, I have my phone set up that I don’t get any social notifications before 9:00am, and even then it’s still limited for the remainder of the day.
3. Be Prepared
o Getting ready for your day can set you up for success. The night before we set out my daughter’s clothes, pack her bag and prepare her meals, this way when the morning arrives, we have a few less things to do. It also allows me to spend a few minutes holding and cuddling her, not worrying about packing her lunch or preparing her bag. Similarly, preparing for your day ahead will help you ease into it. Setting out your outfit, planning your agenda and reviewing your to-do list ahead of time allows you to mentally prepare. If you’re like me, your mind wanders and knowing you have a list and plan to hit the ground running allows you to shut off your brain a bit for sleep.
4. Use a time Block Schedule for Tasks
o I am a huge fan of time blocks. When I have an especially busy day, I print out a time block schedule and write out what I will work on each hour. I give myself grace when other things come up, but this is the outline for my day and how I plan to approach it. I find peace knowing that I have a plan and it helps limit distractions and other things that might come up.
5. Deep Work
o Cal Newport wrote a book called Deep Work and I am a believer. There are so many distractions in our day-to-day life. Deep work can be hard to come by, so we need to be intentional with it. Before I read this book, I didn’t call it deep work but I did follow the idea. Using the above-mentioned time blocks allows me to focus more deeply on the work in front of me, knowing I will move on to another task later in the day.
o Putting down distractions, such as our phone, television, social media, house work, and focusing on specific items allows us to get more done in a shorter time frame, then opening up more time for other activities.
I challenge you to try at least one, if not more, of these things this week and let me know how it goes!
