Calendaring

When Nails Magazine calls and asks if you have any time management tips, you say, “YES! YES! YES!” They only needed 10 for the article, but here are a few more of the time management lessons I’ve learned over the years…

1. Take your calendar everywhere you take your phone and your keys. If someone calls and tries to make plans with you while you’re out, it’s best to know how your week is looking before you make any promises.
2. Write all your tasks on paper instead of relying on your memory to remember things. Your mind is like that hand-crank BINGO cage. The tasks in your mind crank around all day long and unfortunately, you remember tasks at random and then you get in the habit of putting out fires instead of planning your day intentionally.
3. Many of us use a calendar for timed appointments only (dentist appointments, hair appointments, meetings, etc.) Use your calendar for the 100 other tasks you need to get done in a day too- like baking cupcakes for the kids’ fundraisers, picking up the dry cleaning, buying stamps, getting gas, signing up to be room mom, getting your passports renewed, etc.
4. Look at your calendar multiple times each day. This way you’ll have a good understanding of what needs to be done next.
5. Reward yourself at the end of 3 completed tasks (I’ll get 15 minutes on Instagram if I finish these tasks in 30 minutes or less)- making your to-do list a game can make things more fun- and more efficient.
6. Make plans, at least, 4 days in advance. Trying to squeeze in a last-minute lunch might throw off the rest of your day.
7. Use your phone’s alarm to help you stay on task. If you know you only have 30 minutes to do your hair, set an alarm and snooze it until your 30 minutes is up.
8. Make a list each night for the tasks you need to get done the next day- even assign start + end times to each task. Pad enough time (usually 15 will suffice) in between tasks to get everything done on time. If someone asks you to squeeze something in- you can either say “not today” or exchange a task on your list for the new one.
9. Use your to-do list like a scavenger hunt list. Do what you need to do, then come back to your list, cross off the completed task and move on to the next one. Your list will help you stay focused so you won’t spend too much time on any one task. Anything you don’t get done can be moved to a later time or the next reasonable day.
10. You have so many tasks each day and spending too much of your time volunteering will make you unavailable for your everyday tasks. Keep this in mind before signing up for another volunteer project.
11. Don’t plan fun tasks around your life or you’ll never have fun. Instead, plan ahead and schedule fun tasks and then your life will just have to accommodate.
12. Sometimes we find ourselves procrastinating when it comes to some of our routine tasks (cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, washing dishes, taking out the trash, etc.). Procrastination is not necessarily a bad thing. It just usually means we’re not too fond of doing a certain task. Times like these require a bit of creativity. First, make a list of the routine tasks you don’t enjoy doing, then pick the few you’re willing to do that ONLY you can do, next assign the rest of the tasks to the rest of your family and finally you may need to look into hiring someone to do the rest of what’s on your list.
13. When planning a date-night, consider calling for a babysitter a couple weeks in advance.
14. Put a deadline next to each tasks so you know which ones are priorities and which ones can be moved to another day.
15. Use a master calendar for the entire family. Be the boss. Everyone else MUST go through you before they schedule and reserve dates for activities.
16. Organize your bathroom so you can find everything you need in the morning- getting ready takes longer than we’d all like to admit. Don’t overcrowd your vanity- remove all extra items- keep it organized and only stock the bare essentials.
17. Organize your bills and pay them on-time to give you peace of mind (you can use your calendar to mark the exact day you want to pay each one).
18. Organize your closet by donating unwanted clothing + accessories, then group like-items together so you know what you have and can always find what you’re looking for.