Time Management Without a Schedule
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photo sourceRemember the love-hate relationship I have with schedules? Well, a few months ago I gave it a go. I really did. I wrote up a schedule and I ran it through the paces.
And ya know what? It really didn’t support what the players on my team were doing. It wasn’t good for morale. It really rankled the coach. So, I cut it from the team.
Yes, yes, I did.
But, am I throwing all caution to the wind? Have I thrown in the proverbial towel? Have I given up in the last quarter of the game? No, no, I haven’t. But, I’ve found a way to manage my time without an hour-by-hour schedule.
And it. is. amazing.
Time is Our Currency
Years ago, this song by Chris Rice was on my regular playlist. And even then, I wondered how to budget my time. We’re given 24 hours. How do we spend them? At the time, I was really struggling.
I remember that season of having moved cross country, selling a house, and knowing no one in a new town. I remember having a newborn. I remember having six children under twelve.
But, I really don’t remember much else. It’s all a blur. And, it has been really, really hard to get back on my game.
Yet I know the days are fleeting. My eldest child is going to be 14 in a few months. Surely, he was just a newborn. I don’t want to miss out on these days.
One help has been to put my household notebook in order. Every six months or so I need to give it a makeover, but a household notebook and planning pages help me keep things in order.
Another thing to help me manage life better has been to investigate other methods of time management. I’ve consulted with friends, read helpful posts, and examined books on the topic.
Between things that I’ve learned from my friend Crystal and what I gleaned from the ebook, Tell Your Time by Amy Lynn Andrews, I’ve put together a little system that I is helping me, basically it’s a time budget.
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Budgeting My Time
Following Amy and Crystal’s lead, I made a list of all the regular things I do in a day:
- Sleeping
- Bible Reading/Journaling/Praying
- Reading
- Exercising
- Shower/Dressing
- Laundry
- Schooling
- Coupons/Meal Planning/Shopping
- Writing/Blogging
- Meal Prep/Meals
- Housekeeping
- Margin (Crystal had to remind me on that one)
Then I alloted each of those activities a time limit or allowance. The numbers had to total 24 hours, no more and no less.
And quite honestly, it took me awhile to learn this. I read Amy’s book. I read Crystal’s series on Time Management. It wasn’t until Crystal and I were on the phone talking about it that it finally sunk in. That’s when she reminded me that it all needed to add up to 24 and that there needed to be margin for error/emergencies/whatever. Apparently, I really was trying to accomplish more than 24 hours of stuff everyday.
Yes, I’m a little slow.
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Having an allowance
I tend to be an “all or nothing” kind of person. I want to finish all the laundry. I want to give the kitchen a thorough scrubbing. I want to answer every email.
But, if I did that, nothing else would get done in a day. So, by limiting myself to 30 minutes of laundry each day, I am able to work on the task and feel like I can mark it off my list, even if I haven’t matched every sock. I’m doing the laundry. I’m just not doing all the laundry.
This allowance of time helps keep me efficient and moving from one task to the next.
Not only that, but I feel the freedom to spend time on things I wouldn’t normally think I had time for. For instance, I gave myself 30 minutes for shower and dressing. Each morning I set the timer on my phone for 30 minutes. If I’m showered and dressed, but the timer hasn’t rung yet, then I have time to do “extras” like give myself a facial, paint my toes, or put on lotion — things that I usually neglect.
Since I’ve given myself this “allowance,” I’m feeling more “put together” and practices that I had relegated to the “pre-children years” are happening again.
But, I don’t have a “schedule.”
The one thing that I’m not doing is assigning times of the day to when these things should happen. I’m not even creating a sequence of when these tasks should be done. No schedules, no “routine.” THAT makes me always feel behind.
I realized in all this time management study that if the important things are getting done, then it doesn’t really matter when they happen or in what order.
This has been so freeing to me.
Remembering to DO it
Now the trick to any kind of budget, whether it is time or money, is to actually follow it. And I confess, since I am slow and easily distracted, some days I forget my time budget exists. But, there are increasingly more days when I remember. And I’m trying really hard to remind myself.
I even went so far as to print it all out on a card so that I could remember what I needed to be doing throughout the day. It’s a condensed version of my daily to-do list. And I carry it around with me. It’s small enough to fit in my pocket so I have no excuse for not consulting it.
Yes, I am slow and easily distracted. But, this helps me.
Living without a “schedule” but still being productive and responsible in my home is a great feeling. I haven’t “arrived,” but I feel like I’m on the right path.
I was just about to write up a “schedule” for next week. Such inspiring words
Great post. I have been struggling with rebalancing my time since the arrival of baby #3 almost 4 months ago now. This approach makes a lot of sense to me, because it really allows you to focus your priorities.
I would also like to recommend to anyone who is interested in learning more about time management “168 Hours” by Laura Van Der Kamp. This is a fantastic book that has changed the way I look at my time, like you, she focuses on prioritizing your time for things that matter to you, and are in keeping with your life goals.
It’s so cool that you’ve got a list with your day broken down in such a great manner. I’m one of those “it’s all or nothing” girls which really can leave me feeling frazzled at times. I’ve actually started a daily schedule many times before without avail. Thanks for the insights on how yours work for you!
I have totally been needing to read something like this! I feel like I can just never get everything done anymore. I keep telling my husband, “Help me figure out how to organized my life.” I think this is exactly the kind of thing I need to sit down and try to figure out. Thanks so much!
I’m so glad someone figured this out! I love feeling productive and having a routine, but I don’t like rigid hour-by-hour schedules. Thank you so much for this!
I just wanted you to know what a relief it was to read this and try it out. I used to be on top of things when I worked, but as a stay-at-home mom, I seemed to never be focused. I tried the minute by minute scheduling trick and it just made me more frustrated. When I read this yesterday, I thought, “that is too easy”… but I wrote my day out and guess what? It worked!
I not only was able to accomplish my goals but also was calmer because I had my “me” time in there, too. And with blocks of time committed to different activities, I can see where some progress will occur… just not all in one day! YAY for a great idea!!
@Patti, YAY for it working at your house! That makes my day!
Thanks for your post. I’ve been experimenting with different “schedules” (or lack thereof =) ) for the past few years and have yet to find the perfect one for me.
Part of my problem is that I seem to need 7 different schedules – 1 for each day of the week! I’m a SAHM (I have a 15-month-old boy) and a piano teacher, plus I volunteer to help the Jr/Sr High girls at our church’s school with their music for competition every spring. Between my teaching and volunteering, my schedule changes drastically every day! (Monday I don’t teach at all, Tuesday I teach all afternoon and into the evening, Wednesday I teach all morning and afternoon . . . you get the picture!)
Does anyone have any advice for somone like me? I already feel like I’m pulled in 5 directions at once, and making a different plan for each day seems a bit over-the-top.
Well, are there time budgets that fit each day. I’d start with the things that you do EVERY day. Make a budget for those things… what’s the min. time frame you need for each of the must do’s. Start with where each day is similar and then work your way to the things that vary.
Alternatively, assign tasks/time budgets to different days.
I love what you said about setting an amount of time for things like laundry. I also tend to have an “all or nothing” personality, and that means that I tend to put big things off–like that pile of laundry. I LOVE the idea of setting an amount of time and not worrying if it’s ALL done or not. The breaks the job up into bite sized chunks that seem more doable, and I know I’m not stuck doing a ton of laundry all in one day because I put it off for so long.
Please, please, please tell me the secret to getting ready in the morning in a half-hour! I don’t feel like I spend an inordinate amount of time on hair/make-up, but still, to shower, dress, dry/style hair, apply make-up… it definitely takes more than a half-hour. And what is amazing to me is that you said you CAN do it in less than that! Of course, I have to acknowledge that I also get my youngest daughter ready for school at the same time as I am getting ready; that adds a chunk of time. I have a few issues that I would like to mention, just in case someone in the same situation has the same issues and can still get ready in a half-hour; I would love your advice. Okay, 1. I am a die-hard shower in the morning person (for my kids as well). I know that we all have different opinions on the subject, but I feel disgusting without a morning shower, and I think my kids look disgusting without a morning shower too! Mean, I know. 2. Although I don’t think I spend a TON of time on my hair/face, I don’t want to give up doing hair/face because quite frankly, it (again, my opinion) helps all of us with the attractiveness factor… and I LIKE to feel attractive. I hear from some people that they don’t wear make-up and/or they get a wash and wear hair-cut (does that really exist)… but that’s not really the advice I am looking for… thanks for any advice to all who give it.
@Amanda, I am planning a follow-up post. But, I will say, I do take a shower, put on some make-up and blowdry and style my hair. But, I also lock myself in my room alone. 😉
@Amanda,
I’m guessing it will vary with each person, but I’ve had a wash and wear hairstyle for YEARS and wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m lazy and spending more than a few minutes to get my hair styled is just too much work IMO. The style changes too. It used to always be long with bangs, and it just took a few minutes to comb a run the dryer for a few minutes. I never completely dry my hair with a dryer. For a while it was short and spikey and that actually took a little more time, as I had to apply the gel and work it thru and shape it. Right now it’s shoulder length and I just comb it.
I can also be completely showered in less than 10 minutes too, unless I’m shaving that day.
However, I stopped wearing makeup in my early 30’s. I noticed one day that the foundation was highlighting the WRINKLES of all things! For a while I just stopped wearing the foundation, but then realized I didn’t need anything else. I do put some on for date night, just not a daily thing.
Having said all that, you shouldn’t feel obligated to finish in 30 minutes just because someone else can. If you need or want to, that’s different. Is there any way for you to do things along side your daughter that will speed things up for both of you?
This is a great post. It reiterates exactly what I have been thinking about and wanting to address in my own life. Thank you!