Time Management: Getting Out of a Rut

The first thing to do with time management is to get a good look at what you are already doing. This means making a visual representation of where your time is going. You want to see the times that naturally offer wiggle room for something new. Our world today is full of busyness: Many people don’t have a clear idea where there is true open time which can be cultivated for a new purpose. The first step is to make a weekly time chart.

Creating a time chart sounds simple and redundant. Most of us do this unconsciously in our heads. We plot out our day and make little mental lists. Time management problems typically surface when we have more on our plate than we’re use to or try to add in new activities (starting to work out at a gym, a new job – particularly self employment, etc.) without accommodation strategies. For new activities to take hold they need to be adapted into our routines. In addition, people tend to over estimate capacities and under estimate balanced ability. What I mean is someone just entering college may not take into account that for every hour of class time, one needs to plan for three hours of independent study. If the new student is also working and has a family, there may be some time crunches that show themselves fairly soon. The same is true for adding in a new activity like going to a gym, starting a hobby, or developing self directed employment. The time chart can show you where there are blank time slots that could be useful for the unforeseen.

There is another reason for creating a chart of your time. When you sit down to do this activity, you are creating a signature of intent to move forward. Many people fail to change because they forget the power of intentionality. The action of moving in this first step creates the movement toward evolving. Every step forward creates a new operating position. This new position enhances the psyche and helps the shift feel natural. This natural feeling in growth and change is priceless! It gently moves a person out of an authoritarian paradigm and into a sense of initiative and purpose.

Take a sheet of lined paper and draw seven evenly spaced lines vertically. Label the top with “Time”; than Sun, Mon, etc. for days of the week. Underline the heading rows for ease and clarity. Than go down the “Time” column and write 6:00 AM followed by a blank line (for implied 6:30); than 7:00 AM, etc. Every other line will mark the hour until the time when you typically plan to be asleep (typically 10:00 or 11:00 PM). If you always get up earlier, start your time earlier; if you are later, do the same. When you are done you will have a nice visual chart of time and day of week. Leave some space the bottom of the page for calculations.

At the bottom of the page put the number 168. This is the number of hours in a week. Than subtract 54, which is the average sleep time needed. If you typically sleep closer to nine hours a night, subtract 63. Now mark off your sleep hours from the point you get into bed with and X. Next, add in another X for at least one half hour after awakening for sundry morning tasks (using restroom, brushing teeth, etc). If you need longer, put it in. In addition, X out meal times including planned as well as typically unplanned meal time. Always give at least one half hour to include prep and clean-up, and generally at least a full hour (or two) for dinner. It is important to build in extra time for these simple tasks, not less. Mark off the hours you spend doing housework, driving, shopping and other known scheduled activities. Make sure you add at least 15 – 30 extra minutes of unseen delays.

After all the “normal” stuff is added in you will see what wholes you have in your schedule. Now add scheduled “me” time. This means time for you to not “do”. It is scheduling time to put your feet up, watch a movie; or just simply be. What you have left will be time that you can organize for a regularly schedule new project. This is a good time to stop and sit back and let yourself meditate or ponder. Let your own creative natural self come in and work with you on the “time blank” you see. Close your eyes. Visualize the days before you. Ask your body what seems like a good time to implement this new thing. For example, if I want to add in a new exercise routine I need morning time. My energy does not want to put out in that way in the evening. For other’s, however, evening time is much better. The point is look at your schedule and give yourself a little space to creatively address time.

Once you have some inspiration and ideas, put the time in. Since this is new, schedule less than optimum time for your new activity. Be prudent here. This will aid in your ability to be successful in the long run. Many people forget that there is an evolution that occurs when we are “doing something”. If it really fits for us, we will naturally “find” more time to do more of it. This process is one of the best ways to develop commitment. Give yourself a chance to find out what really works for you. You actually may surprise yourself!